Euro 2024 qualifiers: Ciaron Brown and Jordan Jones return to Northern Ireland squad

Jones made his Northern Ireland debut during Michael O'Neill's first reign as manager

Wigan Athletic winger Jordan Jones and Oxford United defender Ciaron Brown have been included in the Northern Ireland squad for the Euro 2024 qualifiers against Finland and Denmark.

Both players missed the October matches against San Marino and Slovenia.

Jones made a substitute appearance for his country in September's defeat in Kazakhstan after returning following a long absence.

Winger Gavin Whyte is again left out of the squad.

Manager Michael O'Neill has selected midfielder Shea Charles, who will be suspended for the first match away to Finland on 17 November.

"The squad almost picks itself at the moment, to be honest," O'Neill told BBC Sport NI.

"There are very little changes. We've brought Jordan Jones in and unfortunately the players who were on the periphery are still unavailable to us with injury."

After playing the Finns in Helsinki, Northern Ireland welcome Denmark to Belfast's Windsor Park three days later for the final match of what has been a challenging Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.

O'Neill's side have won just twice, at home and away to San Marino, with defeats in the other six matches leaving them second from bottom in the Group H table.

Dallas and Davis may travel to Belfast

Steven Davis and Stuart Dallas have been long-term injury absentees for NI manager Michael O'Neill

The experienced Steven Davis, Stuart Dallas and Corry Evans are once again unavailable through injury, as they have been for the whole campaign, while Liverpool teenager Conor Bradley is also still out.

Preston midfielder Ali McCann is still unavailable because of the calf issue that ruled him out of the San Marino and Slovenia games, while Shayne Lavery is also still injured.

O'Neill revealed however that Dallas may do some training with the squad in Belfast next week, and that Davis might come over for the Denmark game.

"To be fair I think Stuart has had some progress in terms of where he is at. He has been training back with Leeds but has had to step back a couple of times from that," explained O'Neill.

"I had a conversation with him about possibly coming in to join up with the squad for a day or two next week. That is something that maybe the medical team with ourselves and the medical team at Leeds will discuss.

"Obviously their main priority is to ensure that the care is there for him as well. It would be nice just to see him around again. Steven the same, he plans I think to possibly come over for the Denmark game.

"I think it would give everyone a lift just to see the two lads back.

"We have talked about Stuart's injury many times and how complex it is. So I think the players themselves would get a benefit out of it, you know, a change of scenery and a change of the group of players.

"How much benefit there would be for them in terms of their recovery is debatable, but certainly from having them around, and for the mental side of it for the players, I think it would be very good.

'We've lacked game knowledge and knowhow'

O'Neill, who was reappointed boss in December, admits his side have lacked "game knowledge and game knowhow" during the Euro qualifying campaign.

The 54-year-old former Stoke boss also challenged his players to score first in their upcoming double-header having failed to earn any points in the six qualifiers in which they have fallen behind in this campaign.

"I think what we've lacked at times in this campaign is a little bit of game knowledge and game knowhow," admitted O'Neill.

"The players we mentioned, the older players, they've got between 300 and 400 international caps. We can't replace that experience.

"The biggest challenge we've faced in the campaign is we've gone behind in six games and have found it difficult to get a way back into the game.

"It would be nice for us to have the opposite scenario, to get ahead and have something to defend and show that side of our game."

While young players such as Charles, who turned 20 earlier this week, have been used heavily in this campaign, O'Neill says he wants to see "more" from the older players at his disposal.

"I think a lot of the older players have to give us more," he said.

"More in terms of where they are with their clubs. Are they in a good position with their club? It's very hard to come from a poor position in your club and be a successful international player.

"Those players in that 25-30 age group, we need to see them getting into better situations at their club, to help us going forward on the international front."

Northern Ireland squad

Goalkeepers: Bailey Peacock-Farrell (Aarhus, on loan from Burnley), Conor Hazard (Plymouth Argyle), Luke Southwood (Cheltenham Town).

Defenders: Jonny Evans (Manchester United), Paddy McNair (Middlesbrough), Jamal Lewis (Watford, on loan from Newcastle United), Daniel Ballard (Sunderland), Ciaron Brown (Oxford United), Trai Hume (Sunderland), Brodie Spencer (Motherwell, on loan from Huddersfield Town), Eoin Toal (Bolton Wanderers).

Midfielders: George Saville (Millwall), Jordan Thompson (Stoke City), Shea Charles (Southampton), Conor McMenamin (St Mirren), Jordan Jones (Wigan Athletic), Paul Smyth (Queens Park Rangers), Isaac Price (Standard Liege), Matthew Kennedy (Kilmarnock), Dale Taylor (Wycombe Wanderers, on loan from Nottingham Forest), Paddy Lane (Portsmouth), Brad Lyons (Kilmarnock).

Forwards: Josh Magennis (Wigan Athletic), Conor Washington (Derby County), Dion Charles (Bolton Wanderers), Callum Marshall (West Ham United).

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