Luxembourg vs Northern Ireland: International preview, team news, stats, kick-off time and how to follow

Paddy McNair, Conor Bradley and Bailey Peacock-Farrell have been ruled out of Northern Ireland's friendly against Luxembourg on Friday.

McNair will not make the trip this week after suffering a foot injury in Middlesbrough's FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Chelsea on Saturday.

The versatile 26-year-old joined up with Ian Baraclough's squad in Belfast but will remain behind to continue treatment, with a chance he returns for next Tuesday's home match against Hungary.

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Liverpool right-back Bradley is yet to join up with the squad having remained on Merseyside for assessment on a knee problem.

Similarly, goalkeeper Peacock-Farrell, who is at Sheffield Wednesday on loan from Burnley, is yet to join up with the squad and will miss the Luxembourg trip, although the 25-year-old should come into contention for the Hungary match.

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It is understood that Peacock-Farrell is not injured and will be available for the Owls' League One match against Cheltenham on Saturday before joining Baraclough's squad. Conor Hazard and Luke Southwood are the other goalkeepers available for Northern Ireland.

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Baraclough's options were boosted on Monday with news that Leicester defender Jonny Evans will be available for the Luxembourg trip, having not been named in the original 25-man squad.

Evans, 34, has been battling a long-term foot injury but after managing 25 minutes of Leicester's 2-1 Premier League win over Brentford on Sunday, he will make the trip to Luxembourg.

However, Evans will not be available for the Hungary match as he manages his return to action.

Luxembourg players flee Ukraine

Analysis from Sky Sports News reporter Paul Gilmour:

"Football is the best medicine." The words of Europe's second longest-serving coach Luc Holtz as the Luxembourg boss announced that his three Ukraine-based players are using the sport to get over the trauma of fleeing war.

The Thill brothers, Vincent and Olivier, along with former Middlesbrough and Yeovil defender Enes Mahmutovic are focusing on football to "take these terrible pictures out of their heads".

Mahmutovic left Ukraine having initially been told Lviv was safe. He moved his family out when they heard bombing at the airport, a few miles from home.

The 24-year-old was able to reach the Polish border having walked the final seven miles of his journey. He witnessed men saying emotional goodbyes to their families as they prepared to join the Ukrainian army.

He also saw elderly people fall to the ground in the swarms of people attempting to leave. Luxembourg players are rallying around their team-mates, helping them to forget about their experience.

Pitch problems

It is fair to say Luxembourg midfielder Gerson Rodrigues was not impressed with the quality of the grass surface at the brand-new Stade de Luxembourg.

Shortly after Northern Ireland trained, Rodrigues was left unimpressed with the number of divots left behind, throwing his hands up in disgust and shaking his head as he complained to members of the coaching staff.

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Dallas "made of teak"

Northern Ireland boss Ian Baraclough has labelled Leeds United's versatile operator Stuart Dallas as "a phenomenon" due to his ability to play through the pain barrier.

Dallas was on the receiving end of a high and heavy challenge from Wolves midfielder Joao Moutinho last week but Baraclough says he is ready for tonight, speculating that he may be "made of teak or mahogany".

Here's Jonny

Jonny Evans was in the gym at Leicester when the Northern Ireland squad flashed up on Sky Sports News last week.

He admitted being disappointed to narrowly miss out as he recovers from a hamstring injury but, after getting some minutes against Brentford, Brendan Rodgers was happy for him to add further game time on Friday night.

He will start the match before returning to Leicester at the weekend. Northern Ireland will carefully manage his minutes and the fact it is a friendly fixture has helped.

Evans has not started in over three months since suffering a hamstring tear against Newcastle in December.

How to follow

Watch Luxembourg vs Northern Ireland live on Sky Sports Premier League on Friday from 7pm; kick-off 7.15pm. Full match highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel at the final whistle.

Opta stats

• Northern Ireland won their last game against Luxembourg back in September 2019, winning 1-0 in a friendly thanks to an own goal from Kevin Malget.
• Luxembourg have hosted Northern Ireland twice previously, losing 3-1 in a friendly in February 2000 but winning 3-2 in their most recent home game in September 2013 in a World Cup qualifier.
• Northern Ireland have kept four clean sheets in their last six matches (W2 D2 L2), one more than in their previous 19 games combined. They are looking to keep three in a row for the first time since a run of five between March and September 2017.
• Luxembourg have won just two of their last 10 matches (D1 L7), losing their most recent game 3-0 against the Republic of Ireland last November.
• Northern Ireland have lost just four of their last 19 friendly matches (W10 D5), winning their most recent friendly match last September away at Estonia, a 1-0 win.
• Northern Ireland have won just five of their last 25 games in all competitions (D7 L13), although four of those wins have come away from home.
• In Gerson Rodrigues' last nine Luxembourg appearances, they have scored eight goals in total - Rodrigues has scored five and assisted two of those goals.
• Northern Ireland's players have only scored one goal between them in their last 465 minutes of play in international football, a Conor Washington goal against Bulgaria last October. Their only other goal in this time was a Benas Satkus own goal for Lithuania last November.

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