THE number of questions about players missing from the latest Northern Ireland senior men's squad easily outnumbered any about the four new faces on the international scene.
That's harsh on defender Eoin Toal and midfielders Sean Goss, Cameron McGeehan, and Isaac Price, all of whom are among 26 named for the trip to San Marino later this month before a home game against Finland days later, both of them Euro 2024 qualifiers.
Former Derry City man Toal, from Grange in Armagh, is a previous NI U21 captain, and both McGeehan and Price have featured in the underage ranks, although English-born McGeehan previously stepped away from the NI U21 set-up.
The absolute newcomer, Goss, was actually born in Germany, in October 1995, and then moved to Exeter at the age of eight, with Manchester United beringing him into their youth system. However, he never made a senior appearance for the Red Devils and, after spells at QPR, Rangers, St Johnstone, and Shrewsbury Town he has now established himself with Motherwell in the Scottish Premier League.
Price is still a teenager, 19, but made two senior substitute appearances with Everton last season, having been at the Toffees' academy since the age of seven, although he was born in NI.
The much-travelled McGeehan, who'll turn 28 next month, is now with Oostende in Belgium – and, if Wikipedia is to be believed, is engaged to 'Made in Chelsea' 'star' Tiff Watson.
NI boss Michael O'Neill talks about the four new faces in his squad
O'Neill spoke about the potential of all four – but fielded far more queries about absentees.
Skipper Steven Davis, of course, out long-term with a bad knee injury; the controversial Kyle Lafferty, now with Linfield; another man back in the Irish League, Glentoran's Niall McGinn; young Sean Moore of Cliftonville; midfielders Ethan Galbraith and Alfie McCalmont; attacker Paul Smyth.
Liam Boyce of Hearts is someone who is "keen" to be back with NI, but is recovering from a cruciate ligament injury; however, Olly Norwood remains in self-imposed international exile.
O'Neill offered reasons and explanations for the omission of all those, while joining Davis on the injury list are fellow midfielders Stuart Dallas, Ali McCann, and Corry Evans, and striker Shayne Lavery.
Other inclusions of interest, apart from the four newcomers to the senior set-up, are teenage striker Dale Taylor – now doing well on loan at Burton Albion from Nottingham Forest – and Aberdeen wide-man Mattie Kennedy.
O'Neill has also selected experienced centre halves Jonny Evans and Craig Cathcart, despite both missing club action recently due to injuries, with the former most likely to be skipper in the absence of Davis.
Although regular game-time at club level is always welcome, O'Neill is optimistic that those two, and fellow defenders Jamal Lewis and Daniel Ballard can at least be fresh for the games late this month:
"Yeah, I think so. It's about being game-ready, is the most important thing. You could have players who have played every minute of the season up to now and, getting into March, they're a bit weary and in a different place, then having to come away to play international football.
"Sometimes when you get players off the back of an injury it comes just at the right time, because they're desperate to play.
"Dan Ballard is a good example, because Daniel was out with a foot injury that kept him out for the best part of three months from Sunderland, so, you see that in how he is now at this stage of the season: he's playing extremely well.
"Hopefully this international window comes at a good time for those international players who haven't had the game-time they would have liked - Josh [Magennis] comes into that category as well, Conor Washington – and you get a hungry player that is hopefully ready to play.
"The most important thing is that they're ready to play, not just physically but mentally. There can be a confidence issue if you're not playing regularly. Can you step in? You need that self-belief to perform on the international stage."
The four newbies will have to prove themselves too. Interesting times lie ahead in the second era of Michael O'Neill.
Northern Ireland squad (to face San Marino (a) and Finland (H) in Euro 2024 qualifiers):
Goalkeepers: Bailey Peacock-Farrell (Burnley), Conor Hazard (HJK Helsinki), Luke Southwood (Cheltenham Town, on loan from Reading).
Defenders: Jonny Evans (Leicester City), Craig Cathcart (Watford), Daniel Ballard (Sunderland), Conor Bradley (Bolton Wanderers, on loan from Liverpool), Jamal Lewis (Newcastle United), Ciaron Brown (Oxford United), Trai Hume (Sunderland), Eoin Toal (Bolton Wanderers).
Midfielders: Paddy McNair (Middlesbrough), Shane Ferguson (Rotherham United), George Saville (Millwall), Jordan Thompson (Stoke City), Shea Charles (Manchester City), Cameron McGeehan (KV Oostende), Isaac Price (Everton), Sean Goss (Motherwell).
Forwards: Josh Magennis (Wigan Athletic), Conor Washington (Rotherham United), Gavin Whyte (Cardiff City), Dion Charles (Bolton Wanderers), Conor McMenamin (Glentoran), Matthew Kennedy(Aberdeen), Dale Taylor (Burton Albion, on loan from Nottingham Forest).
