Josh Magennis isn't a part of Michael O'Neill's squad for games against Switzerland and Sweden
Michael O'Neill addresses the media after announcing his squad for the upcoming friendlies against Switzerland and Sweden
Michael O'Neill addresses the media after announcing his squad for the upcoming friendlies against Switzerland and Sweden
Liverpool's Conor Bradley has been ruled out by injury
Liverpool's Conor Bradley has been ruled out by injury
Bailey Peacock-Farrell hasn't been picked for the upcoming friendlies
Bailey Peacock-Farrell hasn't been picked for the upcoming friendlies
Josh Magennis isn't a part of Michael O'Neill's squad for games against Switzerland and Sweden
Josh Magennis isn't a part of Michael O'Neill's squad for games against Switzerland and Sweden
Michael O'Neill addresses the media after announcing his squad for the upcoming friendlies against Switzerland and Sweden
thumbnail: Michael O'Neill addresses the media after announcing his squad for the upcoming friendlies against Switzerland and Sweden
Steven Beacom
thumbnail: Liverpool's Conor Bradley has been ruled out by injury
thumbnail: Liverpool's Conor Bradley has been ruled out by injury
thumbnail: Bailey Peacock-Farrell hasn't been picked for the upcoming friendlies
thumbnail: Bailey Peacock-Farrell hasn't been picked for the upcoming friendlies
Northern Ireland boss Michael O’Neill has admitted it’s a ‘big blow’ to be missing Liverpool star Conor Bradley for the upcoming friendlies at home to Switzerland and away to Sweden.
O’Neill would have loved to have had the Anfield young gun involved this month given his ability and outstanding displays on the international scene last year but an injury sustained in January has ruled out the 21-year-old. Daniel Ballard and Ali McCann are also sidelined.
“When any of the younger players are out it is a big blow and Conor has been fantastic for us,” said O’Neill.
“He was great in the Nations League and loves coming away to play. What I do see in him and other young players is their personality grows within the squad but they can only do that if they are available to come.
“Conor’s disappointed to be missing and being part of the squad and having the opportunity to play.
“He’s had to be patient at Liverpool at times this season in terms of minutes so he would have looked at this as an opportunity to play back to back games but unfortunately he picked up an injury.”
Also absent from a 25-man squad are Euro 2016 hero Josh Magennis and experienced goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell.
Quizzed on the surprise omission of both, O’Neill said: “These are not competitive games. I know what Josh Magennis gives me so I don’t need to bring him along to a squad in March to find that out.
“I’m going to give those minutes to Ronan Hale or Dale Taylor or Lee Bonis because they are what we need to look at going forward.
“Josh will be 35 in the summer so we have to be mindful of that plus I don’t think it’s great to bring an older player away when you are probably not going to give him any minutes and I explained that to Josh. It’s nothing other than that.
“Josh has been a big part of this squad for a long time but I left David Healy out to invest in a young Josh Magennis so I have to invest in these players as well.”
O’Neill added that he felt Hale, Bonis, Taylor and Callum Marshall were in fine form for their clubs — as Magennis has been — and merited their chance pointing out that it was important to ‘pick up’ Dion Charles and include him after a testing time following his move from Bolton to Huddersfield.
On the goalkeeping front, O’Neill has opted for Pierce Charles, Conor Hazard and Luke Southwood rather than Peacock-Farrell.
O’Neill said: “Bailey has had a difficult period at Birmingham and I felt that with Conor (Hazard) and Luke (Southwood) both playing, it was right to recognise that.
“I have to invest in Pierce (Charles) in the way that I invested in Bailey. When Bailey was 19, 20 coming through at Leeds we put him in the squad and gave him game time opportunity. He understands that, I had a good conversation with him this week.”
Apart from Ross County striker Hale, the only other uncapped player in O’Neill’s panel is Portsmouth’s Terry Devlin while Rangers winger Ross McCausland has been included after originally being on standby.