Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill has been left sweating over another potential injury blow ahead of next month’s World Cup qualifying campaign getting underway after Brodie Spencer was forced off in Oxford United’s Carabao Cup defeat to Brighton on Wednesday.

O’Neill has already been hit by the absence of goalkeeper Pierce Charles, who suffered a shoulder injury playing for Sheffield Wednesday, while Sunderland’s Dan Ballard is set to miss “two or three weeks” of action according to club boss Regis Le Bris.

Spencer, who made a summer move to Championship side Oxford from Huddersfield Town, has established himself in Northern Ireland’s senior side, starting in their final three UEFA Nations League matches as they sealed promotion last year.

The 21-year-old has featured in all four friendlies throughout 2025 as O’Neill’s side ramped up preparations ahead of kicking off their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign with trips to Luxembourg and Germany.

placeholder image — Brodie Spencer has impressed for Northern Ireland. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

Former Cliftonville youngster Spencer has played every minute of Oxford’s opening three Championship matches but was substituted just after half-time in Wednesday’s defeat.

“I think he just felt his ankle,” said Oxford head coach Gary Rowett. “I don’t know if it was a challenge.

“Straight away it looked as though he had to come off, so I would imagine that someone like Brodie, who is a pretty tough cookie, if he’s coming off, hopefully it’s just a bang and really sore, but I would imagine he’d probably play with that. We’ll have to have a little look.”