Talking points ahead of Northern Ireland’s Euro 2024 qualifier in Slovenia
Michael O’Neill has dealt with a nightmare run of injuries since returning to the Northern Ireland job (Zac Goodwin/PA)
Northern Ireland resume their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign when they take on Slovenia in Ljubljana on Thursday.
The match is part of an away double-header in Group H, with Michael O’Neill’s men travelling to Astana to face Kazakhstan at the weekend.
Here, the PA news agency looks at the key talking points ahead of Thursday’s match.
Conor Bradley is among the latest list of players ruled out (Niall Carson/PA)
Michael O’Neill has not had much luck on the injury front since his return to the Northern Ireland job in December. Key players Stuart Dallas, Steven Davis and Corry Evans have not been fit to play since last year, and the injury list goes on with the likes of Shane Ferguson, Jamal Lewis, Conor Bradley Shayne Lavery, Dale Taylor and Aaron Donnelly all sidelined, while Dan Ballard has reported to camp with a concern after Sunderland’s 5-0 win over Southampton.
Sunderland’s Trai Hume may be asked to play on the left again due to injuries (Will Matthews/PA)
O’Neill’s squad includes several players with limited or no experience at international level, leaving the manager to put some square pegs in round holes when it comes to naming a side. The loss of Lewis along with Ferguson means there is no naturally left full-back or wing-back in the squad, so although Bradley is out and Hume might fancy his favoured right wing-back role, chances are he will be on the left again. Josh Magennis and Conor Washington are back from injury, and may go straight back into the side after Lavery and Taylor were forced out.
Jonny Evans, left, made his second Manchester United debut at the weekend (John Walton/PA)
As young
Read on belfasttelegraph.co.uk
