Jonny Evans is back in the Northern Ireland squad for next week’s Euro 2024 qualifiers but Michael O’Neill will once again be relying on youth with a long list of senior players still injured.
Evans – out of contract at relegated Leicester this summer – was unable to add to his 100 caps in March when he was forced to pull out of O’Neill’s first games back in charge of the national team due to a hamstring injury, but is in a 28-man squad to play Denmark away and Kazakhstan at home.
But with Steven Davis, Stuart Dallas, Corry Evans, Liam Boyce, Josh Magennis, Conor Washington and Shane Ferguson all still sidelined, O’Neill has included five uncapped players, with 15 of the 28 having fewer than 10 caps.
Nottingham Forest defender Aaron Donnelly, West Ham teenager Callum Marshall and Larne forward Lee Bonis have all received their first call-ups, with the uncapped Sean Goss and Eoin Toal again included after not featuring in March’s fixtures.
Blackpool striker Shayne Lavery returns after a hamstring injury kept him out of the last squad, although there will be a question over his fitness levels as he has managed only one appearance, as a substitute away to Norwich on the final day, since being sidelined in February.
There is also a return for Ethan Galbraith, who earned the last of his two international caps back in 2020.
The 22-year-old is a free agent this summer after leaving Manchester United, having spent last season on loan at Salford.
O’Neill has been working with several players from both the senior ranks and the under-21s at a series of training camps in recent weeks, aiming to keep his players sharp following the end of their domestic campaigns.
Northern Ireland travel to Copenhagen to face Denmark on Friday June 16 before taking on Kazakhstan at Windsor Park the following Monday.
Madrid update on Mbappe's recovery after questions over France absence
Kylian Mbappe was pictured by Real Madrid during an individual recovery programme amid growing questions over his France absence.
Madrid released a statement on Monday to update on the forward's recovery from a muscle issue that kept him out of France's October internationals squad.
Questions had persisted from reports in France after Mbappe was spotted in a Swedish nightclub on Thursday, when Didier Deschamps' side hammered Israel.
Deschamps insisted the matter was not an issue to discuss, though speculation remains over Mbappe's commitment to France, with reports suggesting he is prioritising Madrid and a potential Ballon d'Or.
Los Blancos seemingly sought to quash any growing murmurs of discontent by confirming Mbappe's appearance at the club before France's 2-1 win over Belgium in Brussels.
"Kylian Mbappe continues to work on his individual fitness plan," a short club statement read.
"The forward is working on his own as he tries to recover fully from the discomfort in the biceps femoris of his left leg.
"He trained on his own in the gym and out on the pitch at Real Madrid City, under the guidance of Antonio Pintus, who is in charge of the club's physical preparation."
Mbappe subsequently posted a picture on Instagram of him in the Madrid gym, captioned "back to work" as the former Paris Saint-Germain forward continues his recovery.
The 25-year-old was joined by goalkeeping pair Thibaut Courtois and Andriy Lunin before more of Carlo Ancelotti's squad return from international football on Tuesday.
Deschamps' men did not feel Mbappe's absence, however, as Randal Kolo Muani's brace secured the vital victory over Belgium to boost their top-two hopes in the Nations League.
Luis de la Fuente backed his Spain side to step-up in their Nations League clash against Serbia, despite being without a plethora of their "irreplaceable" players.
Spain know a victory over Tuesday's opponents will put them within touching distance of qualification, having taken seven points from their first three games.
However, De la Fuente will be without Barcelona's Lamine Yamal for the clash in Cordoba, with the 17-year-old the latest name to withdraw from La Roja's ranks.
Yamal limped off in the 93rd minute of their Nations League win over Denmark before returning to Barcelona to undergo further tests, revealing he suffered a hamstring strain.
"(Yamal) is irreplaceable," De la Fuente told a press conference on Monday. "(But) we have to play eleven and whoever replaces him will want to make a statement.
"Lamine is fantastic, but... you have to understand that, in this life, nobody gives anything away for free. Whoever has to replace him, I'm sure they will do it very well."
Yamal has since been replaced in the squad by Atletico Madrid's Rodrigo Riquelme, who will be hoping to make an impact against Serbia.
Yamal's absence only added to Spain's injury woes, with the European champions now without seven key players for the visit of Dragan Stojkovic's side.
Nico Williams, Unai Simon, Dani Carvajal, Robin Le Normand, Rodri and Dani Olmo, who all starred in their Euro 2024 success, are all also unavailable due to injury.
"They are (too) irreplaceable, each one brings different things to the table. But we are lucky that this is a national team and the best players come here," De la Fuente said.
"I never miss anyone, because those who are playing are (also) very good.
"Obviously, we don't work with closed blocks as it happens at club level, but we also have players who have been here for a long time and internalise the messages.
"In a club you have much more time to do many more things than we do."
Bellamy wants more from Wales after extending unbeaten start
Craig Bellamy insists there is still room for improvement for Wales after seeing off Montenegro 1-0 to make it four games without defeat.
Harry Wilson's 36th-minute penalty earned Wales all three points in Monday's Nations League Group B4 clash at Cardiff City Stadium.
Bellamy, who succeeded Rob Page in July, is the first Wales head coach to avoid defeat in his first four games in charge of the senior men's side.
As well as beating Montenegro home and away, Wales have also drawn 0-0 at home to Turkiye and 2-2 in Iceland.
Reflecting on his side's latest win, Bellamy told S4C: "I was impressed by us being able to control the tempo of the second half, but we still need improvement on it.
"You will get breaks and it feels like you can score because they have players forward, but it's also dangerous then for the counter.
"That transitional game becomes a little complicated, whereas in the first half they sat a lot deeper which allows us to really control the tempo of the game. Of course at the moment that really suits us.
"But we have got to stay calm, in transition but even when we have knockdowns and balls in and around.
"You secure the ball and pass to your team-mates and there are still bits for improvement we need, but we were better than last time."
Match-winner Wilson has now been directly involved in nine goals in his past 11 appearances for Wales, as many as in his previous 41 matches.
The Fulham forward kept his place in a much-changed Wales side on the back of Friday's draw in Iceland, which showed seven alterations in all.
Wilson was the star performer in a game Wales dominated for large parts, with Montenegro failing to register a single shot on target.
It means the Dragons have avoided facing an effort on target in two of their past seven matches across all competitions, matching the tally from their previous 34 games.
For all Wales' dominance, though, Montenegro substitute Andrija Radulovic fired a 20-yard drive against the crossbar.
"There were a lot of changes, and a lot of players who all definitely deserved the opportunity to play as well," Bellamy added. "The Nations League is so good and so competitive."
Wales trail leaders Turkiye by two points heading into next month's contest in Kayseri, before the Dragons round off their Nations League campaign at home to Iceland.
Montenegro, bottom of the table without a point and on a record run of six losses in a row, host Iceland and Turkiye in their final two matches.
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