Football, Irish Sports News
O’Neill and Graham Secure NI Squad Spots
Published
Arsenal’s Ceadach O’Neill and Everton’s Braiden Graham have maintained their positions in Northern Ireland’s squad as they prepare for the upcoming Nations League fixtures. The young talents were initially called up by manager Michael O’Neill for friendlies in June against Guinea and France, where O’Neill made appearances in both matches.
Several players are making their return to the squad after missing the summer games. Defenders Dan Ballard, Paddy McNair, Terry Devlin, and Eoin Toal are back, alongside goalkeepers Bailey Peacock-Farrell and Conor Hazard, and striker Dion Charles. Michael Forbes, the Dundee United defender, also rejoins the team, having earned his first cap against Finland in 2023.
However, Liverpool’s Conor Bradley remains absent due to ongoing recovery from knee surgery. Joining him on the sidelines are Preston North End’s Ali McCann and Aberdeen’s Brad Lyons.
Upcoming Fixtures
Northern Ireland’s Nations League B campaign kicks off with an away match against Georgia on 25 September, followed by a home game against the same team on 5 October. In between, they will face Hungary in Belfast and Ukraine in Slovakia. The team faces a demanding schedule with four matches over 11 days.
To manage this, Michael O’Neill has expanded his squad to 28 players, compared to the 23 selected for the previous window. Additional players like goalkeepers Luke Southwood and Josh Clarke, along with striker Jamie Reid, are on standby.
Fans can follow all six of Northern Ireland’s Nations League matches through live coverage on BBC NI, BBC iPlayer, and the BBC Sport website and app, with radio broadcasts available on BBC Sounds and BBC Radio Ulster.
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