| Venue: Windsor Park, Belfast Date: Monday, 20 November Kick-off: 19:45 GMT |
| Protection: Dwell commentary on BBC Sounds and BBC Radio Ulster; dwell textual content and report on BBC Sport web site; highlights on BBC One NI |
Northern Eire defender Daniel Ballard is an damage doubt for Monday’s closing Euro 2024 qualifier towards Denmark in Belfast.
Supervisor Michael O’Neill revealed the Sunderland centre-half is battling a hamstring damage and can have to be assessed on Monday morning.
O’Neill additionally stated Rangers winger Ross McCausland took a knock when making his debut in Friday’s 4-0 loss to Finland in Helsinki however is anticipated to be match after finishing the “majority” of Sunday’s coaching session.
There was some constructive health information for injury-hit Northern Eire with Queens Park Rangers winger Paul Smyth match sufficient to hitch up with the squad after having to tug out of the journey to Helsinki with a hamstring damage.
He was certainly one of 15 gamers unavailable to O’Neill towards Finland as an damage disaster that has dogged the squad all through a dismal marketing campaign deepened additional.
The collapse towards the Finns means Northern Eire go into their final Group H match at house to the Danes having misplaced seven of their 9 matches, with their solely two wins coming towards lowly San Marino.
We owe followers one thing to cheer – McNair
Paddy McNair has stated he and his Northern Eire team-mates owe their supporters a giant efficiency towards Denmark.
“We owe the followers one thing to cheer about at house. Denmark are clearly the primary seed coming right here and have already certified,” McNair stated.
“It will be a tricky recreation, however Windsor Park previously has been a really powerful place for groups to come back to and get three factors.
“Nice nights have occurred right here earlier than and hopefully Monday night time may be one other one. Whenever you look all through the historical past there have all the time been huge upsets.
“We simply have to focus on ourselves, not mirror an excessive amount of on Friday night time and simply come right here with the liberty and perception that we can provide the followers one thing to cheer about.”
Having gained his 66th worldwide cap, towards Finland, McNair is likely one of the most skilled gamers in a youthful Northern Eire squad that’s lacking a bunch of seasoned gamers.
A kind of absentees is captain Steven Davis, who continues to be recovering from a critical knee damage sustained final December, however the Rangers midfielder was pictured at coaching at Windsor Park on Sunday.
With Jonny Evans additionally out injured, George Saville wore the armband within the defeat by Finland as he gained a fiftieth cap, however McNair could possibly be in line to steer the facet out towards the Danes.
The 28-year-old Middlesbrough man, who performed on the left of a again three towards the Finns, acknowledged how tough a marketing campaign it has been for Northern Eire.
“It [the defeat in Finland] was very disappointing,” McNair stated. “Getting overwhelmed 4-0 just isn’t good and it was a tricky one to take.
“Soccer is all the time tough when you’re not profitable video games. We obtained off to begin towards San Marino, then misplaced 1-0 at house to Finland and simply actually have not recovered from that. We’ve misplaced video games very narrowly at occasions and it simply hasn’t clicked.
“There have been numerous youthful gamers coming in. It has not been straightforward. Whenever you come into the group you need to be profitable video games.
“We’ve not been doing that as a group so it has been powerful, however it’ll stand the younger gamers particularly in good stead going ahead. Worldwide soccer is hard, so experience-wise it’ll do them no hurt.”
Denmark journey to Belfast having secured prime spot in Group H and qualification for the Euro 2024 finals with a 2-1 house win over Slovenia on Friday.