Who could replace Charles for Northern Ireland?

Bailey Peacock-Farrell, Luke Southwood and Stephen McMullan are the three goalkeepers chosen by Michael O'Neill for the World Cup qualifiers against Luxembourg and Germany

Northern Ireland's squad had barely been named when goalkeeper Pierce Charles was ruled out of the opening two World Cup qualifiers.

It's not only a blow given Charles' rapid rise to the number one jersey and strong start to the season with Sheffield Wednesday.

It will also likely change how Northern Ireland approach the qualifiers in Luxembourg and Germany, given the 20-year-old's ability with the ball at his feet and his passing range from the back.

With Plymouth Argyle's Conor Hazard, who had established himself as Northern Ireland's principal deputy to Charles, also ruled out of the two games with a knee injury picked up against Denmark in June, who are the three options available to Michael O'Neill for the games?

Bailey Peacock-Farrell - the experienced campaigner

Peacock-Farrell's last of his 48 Northern Ireland caps came 12 months ago

Club: Blackpool (on loan from Birmingham City) Age: 28 Caps: 48

The injuries to Charles and Hazard have opened the door for a return for Bailey Peacock-Farrell, who was O'Neill's first choice for a number of years before falling out of favour last year.

He was last capped for Northern Ireland 12 months ago in September's Nations League matches, when he was at fault for Bulgaria's winner in Plovdiv.

After struggling for minutes at Birmingham, he joined Blackpool on loan for the new season, but has conceded 14 goals in seven matches so far.

Despite those struggles for form, there is a good goalkeeper in there and he was Northern Ireland's number one for years for a reason.

He is the most experienced - by some margin - of Northern Ireland's three goalkeepers for September's matches too.

Is it time for redemption for O'Neill's former number one?

Luke Southwood - the squad player

Southwood has won just one Northern Ireland cap despite being a regular in squads

Club: Bristol Rovers Age: 27 Caps: One

It's hard not to feel a bit sorry for Luke Southwood, who has been a regular in O'Neill's squads in recent seasons but only has one cap to his name.

In fact, he has been an unused substitute on 31 occasions across 15 international windows.

His sole cap came against Luxembourg in a friendly in March 2022 and, after being seen as back-up to Peacock-Farrell, he is now behind Pierce Charles and Conor Hazard in the pecking order.

Credit has to go to Southwood, who turns up in every international window with a smile on his face and a sense of professionalism that means he is still seen as a valuable squad member to O'Neill.

After spells with Cheltenham Town and Bolton Wanderers, the 27-year-old has dropped down a division to League Two Bristol Rovers for the new season where he has been a starter and conceded eight goals in seven matches.

He has, however, now kept three clean sheets in a row - including against Manchester United's giant-killers Grimsby Town.

Stephen McMullan - the uncapped youngster

McMullan has been a regular for Northern Ireland's under-21 side

Club: Waterford (on loan from Fleetwood Town) Age: 20 Caps: 0

Of the three goalkeepers in O'Neill's squad, Stephen McMullan is probably the least likely to get the nod.

A late call-up to replace Charles, he would have likely lined out for Tommy Wright's Under-21s had the Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper been fit.

McMullan came through at Warrenpoint Town and made the move to Fleetwood Town in 2022.

He's made three appearances in League One for Fleetwood, and has spent 2025 on loan at Waterford Town in the League of Ireland, where he has been the club's number one.

He's tipped as one for the future, but this camp may have come too soon.

What has O'Neill said?

On losing Pierce Charles from his squad: "We all know what Pierce brings in terms of his distribution and there's a calmness in him as well.

"You can't control these situations, they're out of my control. I just have to make sure that the team's as ready as possible."

On adapting Northern Ireland's game with a different goalkeeper: "Our approach might be slightly different. The reason for playing Conor [Hazard] in the first game in Denmark was, what would we do if Pierce was unavailable to us?

"The downside to that is Conor's unavailable to us as well. But for example, we didn't make decisions that would bring pressure onto the back four and put the goalkeeper in a difficult position. On the night I thought Conor played very well and he was just very unlucky that he got the injury at the time that he did.

"We have to make the best of that situation. I do have a goalkeeper that has had a lot of experience under his belt as well, and that's important."