Ni Squad - Who's Fit And Who's Been On The Move?

Northern Ireland will statesman their quest to scope a first World Cup since 1986 pinch location and distant qualifying games against Luxembourg and Germany adjacent month, which will beryllium unrecorded connected nan BBC.

It will beryllium nan first clip nan squad has assembled since June, and nan 2 tricky games are NI's first competitory fixtures since March.

Michael O'Neill will sanction his squad for nan opening fixtures astatine nan commencement of September connected Thursday afternoon.

Ahead of nan squad announcement, BBC Sport NI looks astatine nan awesome talking points surrounding nan fitness, shape and summertime moves that a number of players person made.

Despite Northern Ireland's first World Cup qualifying crippled against Luxembourg astatine location connected Thursday 4 September still being complete 2 weeks away, O'Neill already has a number of wounded concerns.

The main 1 is Liverpool right-back Conor Bradley, who has missed nan commencement of his club's play pinch a insignificant but unspecified injury.

Bradley sat retired nan Community Shield last conclusion by Crystal Palace and Liverpool's opening Premier League triumph complete Bournemouth connected Friday night, pinch Reds leader Arne Slot yet to springiness an update connected his fitness.

The anticipation is that O'Neill will see nan 22-year-old successful his squad and let him to beryllium his fittingness specified is his value to nan broadside and particularly pinch a immense crippled successful Cologne against Germany taking spot conscionable 4 days aft nan Luxembourg fixture.

O'Neill is besides group to beryllium without goalkeeper Conor Hazard, who is still recovering from a knee wounded sustained playing successful Northern Ireland's 2-1 friends nonaccomplishment to Denmark successful June.

The 27-year-old has missed Plymouth Argyle's first 5 games of nan play pinch head Tom Cleverley saying earlier this period that they will beryllium "patient" pinch nan goalkeeper's return.

Ciaron Brown precocious suffered a insignificant setback from a knee ligament wounded that saw him miss Northern Ireland's June friendlies, truthful he faces a title against clip to beryllium his fittingness having grounded to characteristic for Oxford United truthful acold this season.

The September world break will decidedly travel excessively soon for Jordan Thompson.

The midfielder, who joined Preston North End successful nan summer, will beryllium missing for nan adjacent mates of months pursuing ankle surgery.

On a much affirmative note, Paddy McNair seems successful pinch a chance of returning to nan squad aft missing nan June double-header done wounded arsenic he returned to nan chair for nine San Diego astatine nan weekend.

There are rather a fewer Northern Ireland players who person made a affirmative commencement to nan run astatine nine level which will breed assurance up of nan upcoming world window.

Sunderland duo Daniel Ballard and Trai Hume impressed successful nan Black Cats' first crippled backmost successful nan Premier League, a 3-0 triumph against West Ham, pinch Ballard netting nan 2nd pinch a trademark towering header.

Justin Devenny scored nan winning punishment for Crystal Palace successful nan Community Shield last against Liverpool and came disconnected nan chair successful nan Eagles' 0-0 tie pinch Chelsea astatine Stamford Bridge.

The existent standout truthful acold has been Isaac Price, who has taken his extremity scoring shape astatine world level to his nine West Brom.

The 21-year-old scored nan victor against Blackburn Rovers and past netted doubly successful their 3-2 triumph complete Wrexham to return him to 3 goals successful 2 Championship games.

The Charles brothers are besides uncovering regular crippled clip successful nan Championship, pinch Pierce taking complete arsenic number 1 goalkeeper astatine situation nine Sheffield Wednesday and impressing.

He has been linked pinch a move distant from nan nine excessively pinch nan likes of West Ham and Rangers reportedly willing successful acquiring his services.

Meanwhile Shea has started some of Southampton's games nether caller leader Will Still.

Eoin Toal was named Bolton Wanderers skipper successful nan summertime and netted successful their opening time triumph against Plymouth.

Jamie Reid has 3 goals successful 3 games for Stevenage successful League One, which could gain him a callback to nan squad.

It has been a engaged summertime for Northern Ireland players pinch galore making nan moves to caller clubs successful hunt of regular crippled clip and to unit their measurement backmost into nan world reckoning.

Midfielder Ethan Galbraith joined Championship broadside Swansea City from League One Leyton Orient for an undisclosed fee.

Jamie Donley, who besides impressed connected indebtedness astatine Orient past year, has departed Tottenham Hotspur connected a impermanent ground again, making nan move to Championship broadside Stoke City for nan season.

Brodie Spencer has switched to Oxford United from Huddersfield while George Saville has dropped down to League One, signing for Luton Town.

Dale Taylor has made nan imperishable move to Blackpool successful League One for an undisclosed interest from Nottingham Forest.

He links up pinch Bailey Peacock-Farrell astatine nan Seasiders, pinch nan goalkeeper joining connected indebtedness from Birmingham City.

Caolan Boyd-Munce swapped St Mirren for Wycombe Wanderers and has been replaced astatine nan Scottish nine by chap NI midfielder Liam Donnelly.

Goalkeepers Christy Pym and Luke Southwood person been connected nan move, pinch nan erstwhile joining Grimsby Town and nan second Bristol Rovers.

Lee Bonis has signed for Chesterfield successful League Two from Dutch broadside Ado Den Hagg, while Ross McCausland has near Rangers connected indebtedness to move to Cyprus and subordinate Aris Limassol.

The astir astonishing move that has astir apt ended his hopes of an world callback is Conor Washington's move to Matlock Town, who play successful nan eighth tier of English football.

The agelong roadworthy to adjacent year's World Cup finals successful nan USA, Mexico and Canada statesman earnestly, arsenic aforementioned, successful Belfast adjacent month.

It is simply a belated commencement fixed that astir different teams successful Europe started their qualifiers successful March, but this is owed to nan truth that NI are successful nan four-team Group A.

NI person efficaciously 3 ways to suffice for nan tournament. If they apical nan group, they will automatically unafraid a spot successful nan World Cup.

If they decorativeness second, they will subordinate nan 11 different second-placed teams and nan 4 champion Nations League group winners who did not automatically suffice for nan World Cup for a play-off which will impact a semi-final and final.

If they miss retired connected nan apical two, Northern Ireland's group-winning capacity successful nan Nations League intends location is still an extracurricular chance of reaching nan World Cup.

For O'Neill's broadside to unafraid a play-off spot done this route, they would require 8 of nan 11 teams supra them successful ranking of group winners to decorativeness successful nan apical 2 of their World Cup qualifying group.

Those teams are Spain, Germany, Portugal, France, England, Norway, Wales, Czech Republic, Romania, Sweden and North Macedonia.

NI's opening crippled is an perfect 1 to get their run disconnected to a flier arsenic Luxembourg are nan lowest classed squad successful nan group.

They are besides very acquainted opponents arsenic O'Neill's broadside faced Luxembourg doubly successful nan Nations League successful nan autumn, collecting a triumph and a draw.

O'Neill's broadside past person nan daunting travel to Germany, who will beryllium favourites to advancement arsenic Group winners and automatically book their spot astatine nan World Cup.

Up adjacent successful October, is simply a location crippled against Slovakia, who defeated Northern Ireland successful extra-time successful a Euro 2020 play-off nan past clip nan 2 sides met, and a location gathering pinch Germany.

They information disconnected their condensed run pinch 2 games they will consciousness they person to triumph to progress, distant against Slovakia and astatine location to Luxembourg.

Luxembourg v Northern Ireland - Thursday, 4 September (19:45 BST)

Germany v Northern Ireland - Sunday, 7 September (19:45 BST)

Northern Ireland v Slovakia - Friday 10 October (19:45 BST)

Northern Ireland v Germany - Monday 13 October (19:45 BST)

Slovakia v Northern Ireland - Friday 14 November (19:45 GMT)

Northern Ireland v Luxembourg - Monday 17 November (19:45 GMT)