Key duo Jonny Evans and Stuart Dallas return to Northern Ireland squad for Bosnia play-off

Key duo Jonny Evans and Stuart Dallas return for Northern Ireland as Michael O'Neill names his squad for the upcoming Euro 2020 play-off with Bosnia & Herzegovina in Zenica on March 26th.

Leicester City defender Evans and Leeds United forward Dallas missed Northern Ireland’s heavy defeat to Germany in November due to injury but return to boost the squad.

Mark Sykes of Oxford United has earned another senior call-up due to his sparkling performances at club level for League One side Oxford United.

Sunderland striker Kyle Lafferty, who scored his first goals for the Black Cats in a 2-2 draw with Gillingham on Saturday, is also included alongside clubmates Conor McLaughlin and Tom Flanagan.

Norwich City defender Jamal Lewis, who scored his first Premier League goal in the 1-0 win over Leicester, returns to the panel after missing the last international break with injury.

Shayne Lavery of Linfield and Blackburn Rovers Corry Evans drop out of the squad. Evans suffered a fractured frontal lobe and eye socket back in January.

Belfast-born Matthew Kennedy, who switched to Aberdeen from St Johnstone at the start of the year, and Mark Sykes are the only uncapped players in the Northern Ireland senior men’s panel.

Meanwhile, it's not clear whether the game will be played behind closed doors because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Tickets for the game were due to go on sale on Wednesday, but the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina announced on Tuesday that the sale had been postponed "for several days.”

The winner of the tie will face the winner of the Republic of Ireland and Slovakia, which will take place behind closed doors on the same day, with the carrot of a home tie for O’Neill’s men.



O’Neill said: “We are going to prepare the team as normal and do what we’re told. We have players in our squad that have played behind closed doors before if that happens.”

Northern Ireland squad to face Bosnia & Herzegovina:

Goalkeepers: Michael McGovern, Bailey Peacock-Farrell, Trevor Carson

Defenders: Jonny Evans, Craig Cathcart, Conor McLaughlin, Jamal Lewis, Michael Smith, Tom Flanagan, Ciaron Brown.

Midfielders: Steven Davis, Niall McGinn, Stuart Dallas, Shane Ferguson, Paddy McNair, George Saville, Jordan Jones, Gavin Whyte, Jordan Thompson, Liam Donnelly, Matthew Kennedy, Mark Sykes

Forwards: Kyle Lafferty, Josh Magennis, Liam Boyce, Conor Washington