O'Neill boosted by key injury returns

Credit: Pacemaker

Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill has been buoyed by the return from injury of key trio Aaron Hughes, Paddy McNair and Jamie Ward.

The three players have been included in his 27-man squad for the two-leg play-off against Switzerland next month.

Veteran defender Hughes withdrew from qualifiers against Germany and Norway with a calf strain and has yet to return to action for club or country.

He may though feature for Hearts against Kilmarnock this weekend before linking up with his international teammates and O'Neill.

The 37-year-old will surpass Bobby Moore as the home nations' most capped defender ever if he features in either of these two games.

Hughes is one of just two Northern Irish centurions, along with goalkeeper Pat Jennings, though captain Steven Davis will join that club when he leads the team out at Windsor Park in the first leg.

Sunderland midfielder Paddy McNair has also been included in the squad for the World Cup play-off, despite only returning from an 11-month injury lay-off on Saturday.

McNair suffered a lengthy lay-off after rupturing his ACL last November Credit: Presseye

The 22-year-old ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament last November and made his senior comeback at the weekend with an 11-minute cameo off the bench in the Black Cats' 2-1 loss to Bristol City.

Yet, for an all-or-nothing tie against the Swiss to determine if the Northern Irish will be at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, international manager Michael O'Neill has opted to draft in a player who offers options in both defence and midfield.

Nottingham Forest forward Jamie Ward, who missed the final five games of the group stage with a calf injury, also returns after making two substitute appearances for his club.

Ward scored twice in four games before injury curtailed his World Cup qualifying campaign Credit: Presseye

O'Neill has also given Scunthorpe defender Rory McArdle a recall, with the 30-year-old winning the last of his seven caps in March 2014, while midfield duo George Saville and Jordan Jones are retained after winning maiden call-ups for the last qualifiers.

There are eight players in O'Neill's squad that would miss the second leg were they to be booked in Belfast. Ward, Davis, Jonny Evans, Corry Evans, Oliver Norwood, Chris Brunt, Josh Magennis and Stuart Dallas are those all walking a disciplinary tightrope.

Northern Ireland host Switzerland at Windsor Park on November 9 before the two meet again in the return leg in Basel three days later.

Northern Ireland squad: Roy Carroll (Linfield), Michael McGovern (Norwich), Alan Mannus (St. Johnstone); Aaron Hughes (Hearts), Gareth McAuley (West Brom), Jonny Evans (West Brom), Chris Brunt (West Brom), Conor McLaughlin (Millwall), Lee Hodson (Rangers), Paddy McNair (Sunderland), Daniel Lafferty (Sheffield United), Rory McArdle (Scunthorpe), Tom Flanagan (Burton); Steven Davis (Southampton), Niall McGinn (Gwangju), Oliver Norwood (Fulham), Corry Evans (Blackburn), Shane Ferguson (Millwall), Stuart Dallas (Leeds), Paul Paton (St. Johnstone), Matthew Lund (Burton), Jordan Jones (Kilmarnock), George Saville (Millwall); Kyle Lafferty (Hearts), Josh Magennis (Charlton), Conor Washington (QPR), Jamie Ward (Nottingham Forest).