“We’re trying to pick a consistent squad and with the injuries there are still up to seven or eight players who could be involved that aren’t. “It’s a blow not to have young Conor back and to have Ali McCann and Shayne Lavery still out as well,” O’Neill said. “We have been more dominant in possession than some of my previous teams but we’ve not carried the same threat, and obviously we’ve gone behind in games so we’ve not had the opportunity to defend a lead and I think that’s when you’ve seen the best of Northern Ireland, in that situation.”Īlthough Brown and Jones return, Conor Bradley, Ali McCann and Shayne Lavery all remain unavailable, as do the senior players – Steven Davis, Stuart Dallas, Corry Evans and Shane Ferguson – who have missed the entire campaign. Ciaron Brown is back in the squad following the injury that ruled him out of October’s fixtures (PA)
