Ireland assistant manager Roy Keane says they’ve always struggled with Everton regarding player injuries and international call ups.

James McCarthy is not part of the squad for Saturdays World cup qualifier with Austria in Vienna and has been subject to a public debate by his club manager Ronald Koeman and Ireland boss Martin O’Neill in recent days.

Keane said Everton were sensitive about their players under Roberto Martinez and now it looks like being the same under Ronald Koeman.

“I always felt like the Everton players would always turn up on crutches or crawling in the hotel door,” he said today in a press conference after training at Abbotstown.

“They shouldn’t be so quick to stop Irish players coming to play for Ireland.

“Maybe they need to look at their own training schedule.”

Roy Keane on problems with Everton-'I'm not sure when they last won a trophy, maybe as a club, maybe their players need to toughen up a bit'

— Dion Fanning (@dionfanning) November 8, 2016

Keane being Keane, he couldn’t resist a cheeky dig at the Premier League club: “I’m not sure when they last won a trophy.

“Maybe as a club, maybe their players need to toughen up a bit.”

He also insisted that the Irish backroom team never took chances with injured players

Roy Keane says Ireland management have never taken "unnecessary risks" with players in the squad https://t.co/CWYhPBlRgJ

— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) November 8, 2016

James McClean and Eunan O’Kane sat out training with the Irish squad today; McCLean with a slight back problem while has O’Kane a groin strain.

Kevin Doyle has been rested due to his long flight from Colorado. John O’Shea will join up with the squad latter but is struggling with a hamstring problem.