5 talking points as Northern Ireland look for back-to-back wins
Northern Ireland will be back in action whey the host Slovenia at Windsor Park on Tuesday night (Niall Carson/PA)
Northern Ireland will continue their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign when Slovenia visit Windsor Park on Tuesday night.
Here, the PA news agency looks at the key talking points ahead of the game.
Momentum
Saturday’s 3-0 win over San Marino was a baby step for Michael O’Neill’s struggling Northern Ireland side but having finally ended a five-game losing streak they will be desperate to build on that and give their fans something to cheer at home. Saturday was only Northern Ireland’s third win in 18 at Windsor Park, where home form was once so key to their hopes in qualifying. As they begin to look ahead to future campaigns, the need to rebuild the fortress is obvious.
Injury concerns
Daniel Ballard is an injury doubt with a thigh problem (Will Matthews/PA)
O’Neill offered up only one bit of team news in Monday’s press conference but it was potentially a hugely significant one as defender Daniel Ballard is suffering with tightness in his thigh. With Paddy McNair suspended after his late booking on Saturday, O’Neill has limited options at the back if Ballard is missing, which might mean Shea Charles dropping back, Trai Hume moving inside or see Eoin Toal handed a challenging debut.
A different challenge
Northern Ireland fell to a 4-2 defeat to Slovenia when the sides met in Ljubljana last month (PA)
A win was the only acceptable result against a San Marino side ranked 207th and last in the world, but Slovenia represent a very different challenge. Matjaz Kek’s side would have been one Northern Ireland hoped to get the better of at the start of the campaign but they come to Belfast as the leaders in Group H
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