How Will Ballard Injury Impact Northern Ireland?

ByAndy Gray

BBC Sport NI Journalist

In a immense rustle to Northern Ireland's hopes of reaching a first World Cup since 1986, Sunderland defender Dan Ballard has been ruled retired of nan play-off semi-final successful Italy.

A hamstring wounded for nan Sunderland defender intends that Michael O'Neill will beryllium without 2 of his 4 Premier League players for nan important game.

Conor Bradley is besides absent pinch a knee injury, which leaves Trai Hume and Justin Devenny arsenic nan only players who person played successful nan apical formation this season.

But really will Northern Ireland header without Ballard, and who could switch him?

In nan past year, Ballard has been unavailable for Northern Ireland arsenic overmuch arsenic he has been capable to play.

A hamstring wounded ruled him retired of March's friendlies pinch Switzerland and Sweden past year, and he besides missed nan opening 2 qualifiers successful Luxembourg and Germany pinch a knee issue.

The 26-year-old besides sat retired nan last qualifier astatine location to Luxembourg, which was a dormant rubber, done suspension.

Of nan 5 games he has missed, Northern Ireland person mislaid two, won 2 - some against Luxembourg - and drawn once.

A beingness presence, Northern Ireland person conceded 4 goals successful nan 5 matches that Ballard has played in, compared to 10 erstwhile he has been unavailable.

Five of those came against Sweden, erstwhile O'Neill was not only without Ballard but besides Trai Hume and Bradley successful a weakened NI team.

At nan different extremity of nan pitch, Ballard is besides a threat and has scored 5 goals successful his 33 caps.

He did not find nan backmost of nan nett successful his 3 qualifying matches past year, but did person an effort ruled retired astatine location to Germany aft location was an offside successful nan build-up.

Assuming Paddy McNair will commencement sloppy of Ballard's injury, O'Neill has a number of options disposable to him.

Norwich City's Ruairi McConville is nan astir apt replacement for Ballard successful Bergamo.

The 20-year-old was besides an wounded uncertainty but played nan afloat 90 minutes of nan nonaccomplishment to Southampton connected Wednesday, and again successful Saturday's triumph complete Charlton Athletic.

He made his debut successful 2024 and has won 9 caps, and has been a regular for Norwich since breaking into nan first squad successful November.

Another action astatine centre backmost is Eoin Toal, who started nan World Cup qualifier successful Germany.

The Bolton Wanderers skipper has helped nan nine to 3rd successful League One, and has won 10 caps.

Oxford United's Ciaron Brown has often been utilized arsenic a reliable backmost up for O'Neill erstwhile others are retired injured, and is simply a earthy left-sided centre back.

He possesses a agelong propulsion and has scored doubly successful his past six matches for Oxford, truthful is simply a threat astatine some ends of nan pitch.

Tom Atcheson has been called into nan squad arsenic Ballard's replacement from nan Under-21s and is simply a cognize amount to O'Neill, who is his head astatine Blackburn Rovers.

Atcheson, 19, was named man of nan lucifer successful Saturday's goalless tie pinch Championship beforehand runners Middlesbrough.

There is immoderate elasticity arsenic to really Northern Ireland could statement up successful Bergamo, contempt missing Bradley and Ballard.

Bradley would apt person started nan crippled astatine correct wing-back, utilizing his power to thrust up and down nan pitch.

While losing Bradley was a blow, it is simply a position that Northern Ireland person spot successful extent pinch Trai Hume, Brodie Spencer, Terry Devlin and moreover Ethan Galbraith capable to play there.

Of Northern Ireland's past 10 fixtures, either Ballard, Bradley, Hume aliases Justin Devenny - O'Neill's 4 Premier League players - person been unavailable for 7 of them.

Here is really O'Neill has played his backmost 5 successful their absences:

The large mobility is astir what to do pinch Trai Hume.

Do you play him astatine correct backmost arsenic a earthy capable for Bradley, aliases displacement him into nan centre to switch his Sunderland team-mate Ballard?

If it is nan latter, past it would not beryllium a astonishment to spot 3 centre backs of Hume, McNair and McConville, pinch Devenny connected nan near and either Spencer aliases Devlin astatine correct back.

If O'Neill opts to play Hume astatine correct back, past McNair would beryllium nan aged caput alongside 2 of nan little knowledgeable options that we mentioned above.

Regardless of who steps in, losing 2 of nan 4 players who person played successful nan Premier League this play is simply a immense rustle to O'Neill, and others will person to measurement up to capable nan void if Northern Ireland are to execute their World Cup dream.