James McCarthy is out of the Ireland squad again as Giovanni Trapattoni’s options for Wednesday night’s friendly with Croatia diminish by the day.

The Wigan midfielder had made his peace with the Ireland boss after controversially missing the four end-of-season matches in May and June.

McCarthy had contacted Trapattoni to tell him he would be available for Wednesday’s game in Dublin but an injury picked up in a friendly on Sunday has now forced him out.

Also gone are the Stoke City pair Jonathon Walters and Marc Wilson who reported to the Irish team hotel to have their injuries analyzed before their withdrawals.

The FAI confirmed on Monday morning that neither Wilson nor Walters would be ‘match fit’ for the game.

The injured Seamus Coleman, Keith Fahey and Damien Delaney are also out of the squad with Aston Villa’s Ciaran Clark earning a late reprieve.

Meanwhile new Sunderland signing James McLean has declared his intention to switch allegiances from Northern Ireland to the Republic.

The 22-year-old signed for Sunderland from his native Derry City on Monday and immediately withdrew from the Northern Ireland squad for Wednesday’s Euro championship clash with the Faro Islands in Belfast.

“It’s always been my dream to play for the Republic and hopefully that will become a reality now that I’m going to be a Sunderland player,” said McClean.

Revised Ireland squad to face Croatia: Shay Given, Keiren Westwood, David Forde, Stephen Kelly, Stephen Ward, Richard Dunne, Ciaran Clark, Sean St Ledger, Darren O’Dea, Glenn Whelan, Darron Gibson, Andy Keogh, Damien Duff, Stephen Hunt, Keith Treacy, Robbie Keane, Kevin Doyle, Shane Long, Simon Cox.