Michael O’Neill cannot believe Northern Ireland’s injury problems

Steven Davis, Stuart Dallas, Shane Ferguson and Corry Evans have been out with long-term problems, and have been joined on the injury list by Conor Bradley, Jamal Lewis and Aaron Donnelly.

The situation could yet get worse as forwards Shayne Lavery and Dale Taylor face scans after being forced off with injuries at the weekend, with the possibility of replacements being called up before the weekend.

O’Neill has not been able to select from anything close to a full-strength squad since returning to the job in December, and that has been reflected in results as Northern Ireland have suffered three consecutive 1-0 defeats to leave them with only three points from four qualifiers in Group H.

“I’ve not known (injuries like this) over a campaign,” O’Neill told the PA news agency.

“Sometimes you can miss players at key moments, maybe for two games, but to have players still unavailable to us coming up to games five and six, it’s probably the worst I’ve experienced both in my first spell of eight years and obviously since coming back in.”

Davis, Dallas, Ferguson and Corry Evans have been unable to play for O’Neill since his return to the role, and the manager said he fears their involvement in this campaign will be “very minimal” at best with the relatively short timeframe between now and the final qualifiers in November.

“It means we’ve got to consider how we play,” O’Neill added. “It’s difficult when you’ve worked on a lot of things in terms of a system of play and then you have to reconsider that because of injuries.”

There was some good news in Tuesday’s squad announcement, with strike pair Josh Magennis and Conor Washington back along with central defender Dan Ballard.

Both Jonny Evans and Craig Cathcart are included despite not playing competitive club football since the end of last season. Evans, 35, is in talks with Manchester United after featuring in their pre-season campaign, while Cathcart, 34, is training with Watford’s Under-21s after his contract expired.

“It’s never easy to tell but I think the lads themselves will be honest with me and let me know where they feel they are,” O’Neill said.

“It says a lot that they’re putting themselves forward and they’re both keen to be involved. Having (Ballard) back in is a plus. He’s needs to now demonstrate the same value to us as a team as to what he is to Sunderland in terms of leadership and significance.”

O’Neill has called up uncapped Kilmarnock midfielder Brad Lyons, having been impressed by the impact the 26-year-old has made this term.

“He’s had a good start to the season and given the injuries we have and also what he’s doing himself I think he merits his place in the squad,” O’Neill said.

Northern Ireland, who face Slovenia in Ljubljana on September 7 before heading to Astana to take on Kazakhstan on September 10, go into the games fifth in Group H with the away win over San Marino in March their only positive result so far.

“We have three of the last four games at home,” O’Neill said. “If we can come out of these games with something to play for in those final four games, that is the most important thing.

“If we look at the teams above us, it’s not a gap that is insurmountable but we’re also aware of the fact we need to put a run of results together to have any chance of qualification, but I think we always have to have that aspiration.”

NORTHERN IRELAND

Goalkeepers – Bailey Peacock-Farrell (Aarhus, on loan from Burnley), Conor Hazard (Plymouth Argyle), Luke Southwood (Cheltenham Town).

Defenders – Jonny Evans (unattached), Craig Cathcart (unattached), Paddy McNair (Middlesbrough), Daniel Ballard (Sunderland), Ciaron Brown (Oxford United), Trai Hume (Sunderland).

Midfielders - George Saville (Millwall), Gavin Whyte (Portsmouth), Jordan Thompson (Stoke City), Alistair McCann (Preston North End), Shea Charles (Southampton), Conor McMenamin (St Mirren), Isaac Price (Standard Liege), Paul Smyth (Queen’s Park Rangers), Matthew Kennedy (Kilmarnock), Brad Lyons (Kilmarnock).

Forwards – Josh Magennis (Wigan Athletic), Conor Washington (Derby County), Shayne Lavery (Blackpool), Dion Charles (Bolton Wanderers), Dale Taylor (Wycombe Wanderers, on loan from Nottingham Forest).