Photo via BBC Sport

O'Neill and Graham retain places in NI squad

Teenagers Ceadach O'Neill of Arsenal and Braiden Graham of Everton have both retained their positions in Northern Ireland's 28-man squad ahead of an intensive Nations League B schedule. Manager Michael O'Neill initially awarded the youthful duo their senior debuts during June's exhibition fixtures opposite France and Guinea, where the 18-year-old Gunners prospect participated twice.

The newly expanded panel—up five members from the 23 selected in the summer—also welcomes back several established figures who sat out the previous camp, including defenders Dan Ballard, Paddy McNair, Terry Devlin, and Eoin Toal, netminders Bailey Peacock-Farrell and Conor Hazard, and attacker Dion Charles. Dundee United defender Michael Forbes, whose solitary international outing came against Finland in 2023, has likewise earned an inclusion, while Luke Southwood, Josh Clarke, and Jamie Reid remain on standby duty.

Injuries continue to sideline Liverpool defender Conor Bradley alongside Aberdeen's Brad Lyons and Preston North End's Ali McCann. Following their promotion out of League C last season, the Irish side will navigate four Nations League B matches inside an 11-day timeframe.

Their journey begins on 25 September in Georgia, followed by a home clash with Hungary in Belfast, a neutral-venue test against Ukraine hosted in Slovakia, and a concluding home fixture against Georgia on 5 October. Completing the traveling roster are goalkeepers Pierce Charles; defenders Tom Atcheson, Ruairi McConville, Trai Hume, Ciaron Brown, and Brodie Spencer; midfielders Jordan Thompson, Shea Charles, Jamie McDonnell, Justin Devenny, Paul Smyth, Isaac Price, Patrick Kelly, Ethan Galbraith, and Kieran Morrison; and attackers Josh Magennis, Jamie Donley, and Callum Marshall.

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