Euro 2024 qualifiers: NI's Paul Smyth and Jonny Evans out of Finland game, Ross McCausland called up

Jonny Evans has been ruled out of NI's final two Euro 2024 qualifiers

Paul Smyth has joined Jonny Evans as an injury absentee for Northern Ireland's Euro 2024 Group H qualifier against Finland in Helsinki on Friday.

Smyth will remain with his club Queens Park Rangers to have treatment on a hamstring injury, but may be available for Monday's game with Denmark.

Rangers winger Ross McCausland has been called into Michael O'Neill's squad.

Goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell is a major doubt, with Paddy Lane among the other players carrying knocks.

The Portsmouth winger has a calf complaint and is regarded as a doubt for the forthcoming double-header, which will conclude the European Championship qualifying campaign.

Burnley stopper Peacock-Farrell did not play for Danish side Aarhus, with whom he is currently on loan, at the weekend.

On a more positive note, Derby County striker Conor Washington was a doubt, but he had a scan at this club on Monday and has been given the all-clear to join up with the squad.

Portsmouth's Terry Devlin and West Ham teenager Michael Forbes have been added to the squad from the Under-21 panel for training purposes ahead of the trip to Finland and next week's encounter with the Danes at Windsor Park.

Manchester United defender Evans is missing with a thigh strain after being forced off after 13 minutes of their recent Champions League defeat in Copenhagen.

Smyth scored a goal in a 3-0 victory over San Marino in Belfast in October on his first senior international start.

He then turned provider to set up Josh Magennis for Northern Ireland's second goal and had another fine finish disallowed for offside in a busy first half for the Queens Park Rangers man.

McCausland impressed as a substitute in Rangers' 2-1 Europa League triumph over Sparta Prague last week and was then named in manager Philippe Clement's starting XI for Sunday's Scottish Premiership win over Ross County, his first start for the Glasgow giants.

McCausland 'an exciting young player'

Northern Ireland have lost six of the eight qualifying games they have played to date, their sole wins coming in home and away fixtures against group minnows San Marino.

"It's been a challenging campaign, we have had a lot of players missing, we're well into double figures for this game now, but we'll put a team on the pitch that will be well prepared," O'Neill told BBC Sport NI.

"We'll be asking a lot of some younger players but that's the nature of international football.

"Every time we come together it's an opportunity to progress, to get to know the lads a little bit better, getting the younger players to understand how we want to work.

"We don't play again until March so we want a positive camp and obviously good performances and hopefully two positive results."

Ross McCausland started for the first time for Rangers against Livingston on Sunday

O'Neill has been impressed by the recent form of 20-year-old McCausland, who has come through the Northern Ireland underage system, including the Under-21 panel.

"We've known Ross right through and we had him with the senior camp in the summer," explained the NI boss.

"I'm pleased he has made the breakthrough because it can be difficult for a young player at a club like Rangers and certainly a change in manager seems to have helped him and he's making the most of it.

"He's an exciting young player - he just has to continue in the vein of form that he's in.

"Once you have that first-team experience you gather belief in yourself as well. He's not a boy who is short in confidence anyhow, so it's good to have him in."