NI can draw on strong club form in key window

Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill can call on a squad with substantial recent club playing time as his side prepare to face Ukraine and Hungary in the Nations League. The team lead Group B2 after four matches, and O’Neill says regular minutes should help players develop and strengthen the national side’s prospects.

Nine players made permanent or loan moves over the summer, while the uncapped trio of Dermot Mee, Eoin Kenny and Braiden Graham are excluded from the minutes comparison. The other squad members have averaged more than 1,000 club minutes this season; only four have started fewer than four games since the previous international fixture. Northern Ireland are without injured Conor Bradley, Daniel Ballard and Ceadach O’Neill, while Jamie Donley has scored three times and supplied two assists for Luton since the last Nations League window.