Michael O'Neill upbeat over 'winnable' Slovenia Euro 2024 clash despite Gavin Whyte injury blow

While Dan Ballard remains a big question mark with an ankle issue, a hamstring problem has ruled out Gavin Whyte, with Paddy Lane called in as cover.

It means O’Neill is yet again a goalkeeper away from having a strong starting XI ruled out, having been without Stuart Dallas, Steven Davis, Corry Evans and Shane Ferguson throughout the campaign.

Those woes have translated onto the pitch, where Northern Ireland have suffered three straight defeats since their opening win over minnows San Marino, leaving them fifth in Group H, six points behind leaders Finland.

But O’Neill can point to the fact that all three defeats have been 1-0, with Northern Ireland not far off where they need to be despite their problems.

“I think every game in this group is winnable and the other teams will feel the same,” he said.

“We haven’t been outplayed in any of the games we have played.

“We have come out on the wrong side of scorelines and are disappointed we lost but we were just reiterating that to the players – Finland have conceded the same amount of goals as us and they are top and we sit in fifth – so it is at the other end we have not taken the chances at key moments in the game.

“This is a winnable game.”

O’Neill pointed to Northern Ireland’s 2-1 win away to Hungary in 2014 as providing the unexpected spark for their run to Euro 2016.

“No international fixture away from home is easy to win and this group of players have to get back to that mentality,” he said.

“Going back previously to the 2016 and 2018 qualification campaigns we were capable of going away from home to win games.

“You have to start it somewhere and we started it in Budapest in 2014 so it takes something like that to ignite a little run of confidence and form and this is as good as any to start.”

Ballard’s injury is a big concern given the lack of match fitness for Northern Ireland’s experienced defensive pair Jonny Evans and Craig Cathcart, who came into the camp unattached, taking time out for a medical with Belgian club KV Kortrijk before a one-year deal was announced on Wednesday.

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