Potential injury hammer blow for Northern Ireland as Sheffield Wednesday star leaves FA Cup tie in 'a lot of pain'
Michael O’Neill faces an anxious wait over a fitness update on Northern Ireland goalkeeper Pierce Charles after he left Sheffield Wednesday’s FA Cup tie with Brentford in tears having sustained another shoulder injury.
The 20-year-old missed the entirety of Northern Ireland’s 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign with a similar issue, but had returned to action last month and impressed for the Championship strugglers.
However, Charles was dealt a fresh injury blow on Saturday, leaving the pitch after 60 minutes with Wednesday boss Henrik Pedersen saying “he has a lot of pain”.
It’s a potential hammer blow for O’Neill, who is also sweating over the fitness of talisman Conor Bradley after he was stretchered off with what appeared to be a serious injury during Liverpool’s Premier League draw with Arsenal on Thursday.
Northern Ireland travel to Italy on March 26 for a World Cup semi-final play-off as they look to end the country’s 40-year wait for a return to the sport’s biggest stage.
Charles had established himself as O’Neill’s number one, racking up eight international caps since making his debut against Belarus in October 2024, and generated transfer interest from clubs across Europe.
The severity of Charles’ latest injury is yet to be revealed, but Pedersen is fearful it could be another long absence.
“It's the opposite shoulder to the previous injury and he has a lot of pain,” he said. “After a scan tomorrow we'll know more.
“It's awful for him, he's such an important part of our way of playing, defensively and offensively.
“How he has played since he came back is fantastic. It's so sad if it's another injury that keeps him out for weeks or longer. I really hope the best for him.
“The priority is to find out what is the level of the injury for Pierce and then we take it from there.”