Who Could Replace Charles For Northern Ireland?

Northern Ireland's squad had hardly been named erstwhile goalkeeper Pierce Charles was ruled retired of nan opening 2 World Cup qualifiers.

It's not only a rustle fixed Charles' accelerated emergence to nan number 1 jersey and beardown commencement to nan play pinch Sheffield Wednesday.

It will besides apt alteration really Northern Ireland attack nan qualifiers successful Luxembourg and Germany, fixed nan 20-year-old's expertise pinch nan shot astatine his feet and his passing scope from nan back.

With Plymouth Argyle's Conor Hazard, who had established himself arsenic Northern Ireland's main lawman to Charles, besides ruled retired of nan 2 games pinch a knee wounded picked up against Denmark successful June, who are nan 3 options disposable to Michael O'Neill for nan games?

Club: Blackpool (on indebtedness from Birmingham City) Age: 28 Caps: 48

The injuries to Charles and Hazard person opened nan doorway for a return for Bailey Peacock-Farrell, who was O'Neill's first prime for a number of years earlier falling retired of favour past year.

He was past capped for Northern Ireland 12 months agone successful September's Nations League matches, erstwhile he was astatine responsibility for Bulgaria's victor successful Plovdiv.

After struggling for minutes astatine Birmingham, he joined Blackpool connected indebtedness for nan caller season, but has conceded 14 goals successful 7 matches truthful far.

Despite those struggles for form, location is simply a bully goalkeeper successful location and he was Northern Ireland's number 1 for years for a reason.

He is nan astir knowledgeable - by immoderate separator - of Northern Ireland's 3 goalkeepers for September's matches too.

Is it clip for redemption for O'Neill's erstwhile number one?

Club: Bristol Rovers Age: 27 Caps: One

It's difficult not to consciousness a spot sorry for Luke Southwood, who has been a regular successful O'Neill's squads successful caller seasons but only has 1 headdress to his name.

In fact, he has been an unused substitute connected 31 occasions crossed 15 world windows.

His sole headdress came against Luxembourg successful a friends successful March 2022 and, aft being seen arsenic back-up to Peacock-Farrell, he is now down Pierce Charles and Conor Hazard successful nan pecking order.

Credit has to spell to Southwood, who turns up successful each world model pinch a grin connected his look and a consciousness of professionalism that intends he is still seen arsenic a valuable squad personnel to O'Neill.

After spells pinch Cheltenham Town and Bolton Wanderers, nan 27-year-old has dropped down a section to League Two Bristol Rovers for nan caller play wherever he has been a starter and conceded 8 goals successful 7 matches.

He has, however, now kept 3 cleanable sheets successful a statement - including against Manchester United's giant-killers Grimsby Town.

Club: Waterford (on indebtedness from Fleetwood Town) Age: 20 Caps: 0

Of nan 3 goalkeepers successful O'Neill's squad, Stephen McMullan is astir apt nan slightest apt to get nan nod.

A precocious call-up to switch Charles, he would person apt lined retired for Tommy Wright's Under-21s had nan Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper been fit.

McMullan came done astatine Warrenpoint Town and made nan move to Fleetwood Town successful 2022.

He's made 3 appearances successful League One for Fleetwood, and has spent 2025 connected indebtedness astatine Waterford Town successful nan League of Ireland, wherever he has been nan club's number one.

He's tipped arsenic 1 for nan future, but this campy whitethorn person travel excessively soon.

On losing Pierce Charles from his squad: "We each cognize what Pierce brings successful position of his distribution and there's a calmness successful him arsenic well.

"You can't power these situations, they're retired of my control. I conscionable person to make judge that nan team's arsenic fresh arsenic possible."

On adapting Northern Ireland's crippled pinch a different goalkeeper: "Our attack mightiness beryllium somewhat different. The logic for playing Conor [Hazard] successful nan first crippled successful Denmark was, what would we do if Pierce was unavailable to us?

"The downside to that is Conor's unavailable to america arsenic well. But for example, we didn't make decisions that would bring unit onto nan backmost 4 and put nan goalkeeper successful a difficult position. On nan nighttime I thought Conor played very good and he was conscionable very unlucky that he sewage nan wounded astatine nan clip that he did.

"We person to make nan champion of that situation. I do person a goalkeeper that has had a batch of acquisition nether his loop arsenic well, and that's important."