Northern
Ireland know nothing less than victory will do if they want to preserve their slim chances of reaching the Euro finals. MIchael O'Neill's men have won just one of their four games to date in Group H, coming against minnows San Marino in the opening fixture. Defeats to Denmark, Finland and Kazakhstan have left
Northern Ireland labouring in fifth spot in the pool, and with a mountain of Everest proportions to climb. It doesn't get any easier for O'Neill and his players, with a daunting away double-header up next. First it's a clash with Slovenia on Thursday night, followed by a tough trip to Kazakhstan on Sunday. Can they get the win they need tonight? We will bring you live updates from Ljubljana. Key Events Welcome! 11:00 11:11 Gareth Fullerton Injury plight Northern Ireland's injury problems have been well documented, with Steven Davis, Stuart Dallas, Corry Evans and Shane Ferguson the main long-term absentees. Now Michael O'Neill has to deal with the absences of Shayne Lavery, Dale Taylor, Gavin Whyte, Conor Bradley and Jamal Lewis, with doubts also over defender Dan Ballard. Paddy Lane has been added to the squad. Share Comments 11:08 Gareth Fullerton O'Neill seeks 'Budapest moment' Michael O'Neill believes a famous win on the road could kickstart Northern Ireland's Euro drive. Back in 2014 O'Neill's side claimed a big win against Hungary which proved the catalyst to their run to the 2016 finals. So far Northern Ireland have only beaten San Marino in Group H, and they need a miracle if they want to reach another major finals. O'Neill said: "I think this is a winnable game. No international game away from home is easy to win, and this group of players have to get that mentality. "It is a new group for me to work with in a lot of areas. We are capable of going back to 2016 and 2018 qualification campaigns where we were able to go away form home and win games. "That's something that this group of players [can do]. You have to start it somewhere and we started away back in Budapest. "It takes something like that to maybe ignite a little run of confidence and form and this is as good a place as any to start." Share Comments 11:03 Gareth Fullerton Talking points ahead of the game Northern Ireland resume their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign when they take on Slovenia in Ljubljana on Thursday. The match is part of an away double-header in Group H, with Michael O’Neill’s men travelling to Astana to face Kazakhstan at the weekend. Here, the PA news agency looks at the key talking points ahead of Thursday’s match. No end to injury woes Conor Bradley is among the latest list of players ruled out (Niall Carson/PA) Michael O’Neill has not had much luck on the injury front since his return to the Northern Ireland
Job in December. Key players Stuart Dallas, Steven Davis and Corry Evans have not been fit to play since last year, and the injury list goes on with the likes of Shane Ferguson, Jamal Lewis, Conor Bradley Shayne Lavery, Dale Taylor and Aaron Donnelly all sidelined, while Dan Ballard has reported to camp with a concern after Sunderland’s 5-0 win over Southampton. Limited options Sunderland’s Trai Hume may be asked to play on the left again due to injuries (Will Matthews/PA) O’Neill’s squad includes several players with limited or no experience at international level, leaving the manager to put some square pegs in round holes when it comes to naming a side. The loss of Lewis along with Ferguson means there is no naturally left full-back or wing-back in the squad, so although Bradley is out and Hume might fancy his favoured right wing-back role, chances are he will be on the left again. Josh Magennis and Conor
Washington are back from injury, and may go straight back into the side after Lavery and Taylor were forced out. Evans and Cathcart Jonny Evans, left, made his second
Manchester United debut at the weekend (John Walton/PA) As young as this Northern Ireland side is in many departments, the centre of defence is still anchored by Jonny Evans and Craig Cathcart. However, there is a different concern with the two seasoned campaigners. Evans enjoyed a pre-season with Manchester United before signing a one-year contract with his boyhood club, but the 35-year-old’s second-half appearance as a substitute in Sunday’s loss at
Arsenal was his first competitive
Football since Northern Ireland’s June qualifiers. Cathcart comes into these fixtures even more undercooked, having been without a club since he left Watford at the end of last season before signing for Belgian side KV Kortrijk on Tuesday. The 34-year-old had been training with the Hornets but is bound to be short of match fitness. With an injury concern over Ballard, Northern Ireland are stretched at the back. Group goals With so many senior players out and so many youngsters in, O’Neill said in June that qualifying was no longer the goal in this campaign, but the mood
music has changed coming into this camp. O’Neill sounded a different tone when he announced his squad last month, and the players too have been talking about how two good results in this window could get them back in the mix before October’s double-header at Windsor Park. Whether they have the resources to do it remains to be seen. Fine margins The return of Conor Washington, left, and Josh Magennis, right, will boost Northern Ireland’s hopes of ending their scoreless run (Steven Paston/PA) Northern Ireland have taken only three points from their opening four qualifiers, and those came in the opening fixture away to minnows San Marino. But while everything else has been a defeat, the losses to Denmark away and Finland and Kazakhstan in Belfast have all come by a 1-0 margin. Scoring has been a long-term problem for Northern Ireland, but they have remained defensively strong and will take confidence from that with more experienced strikers back in the fold. Share Comments 11:01 Gareth Fullerton Betting odds Slovenia 5/6 N Ireland 7/2 Draw 9/4 Odds from McLean Bookmakers Share Comments 11:01 Gareth Fullerton Kick-off time Tionight's game kicks off at 7.45pm
UK time. Share Comments 11:00 KEY EVENT Welcome! Welcome to our live blog. Goal and score updates to come from Slovenia vs Northern Ireland in the Euro qualifiers. Share Comments More On Northern Ireland football team