Bradley in NI squad but O'Neill unsure on Charles injury

Northern Ireland will face Luxembourg and Germany next month with both games live across the BBC

Liverpool's Conor Bradley has been named in Northern Ireland's squad for World Cup qualifiers against Luxembourg and Germany next month.

Bradley has not played for his club yet this season because of a hamstring injury, but Reds boss Arne Slot confirmed he returned to training on Thursday ahead of Monday's Premier League game away to Newcastle.

And the 22-year-old defender, who has scored four international goals in 25 caps, has been included in Michael O'Neill's panel for away games against Luxembourg on 4 September and Germany in Cologne three days later.

"He's had a good pre-season. I think he has a small injury and Liverpool have been careful with him," said O'Neill.

"Hopefully he'll get some minutes, but he's trying to get into one of the best teams in the world, who have signed a lot of players as well and are the Premier League champions.

"The most important thing is he's fit and available for us. Ideally, you'd like him to come in having played three games for Liverpool. That may not be the case and the medical teams are in regular dialogue."

O'Neill added: "The squad doesn't meet up for another nine days so we have a number of players who may play two or three games before then, so we may lose players, we don't have a crystal ball to say who's going to be there and who won't be there.

"But we've picked the strongest squad that we can obviously from the players that are fit and available."

Charles injury has 'only come to light'

The pair of fixtures, both of which will be shown live on the BBC, are the first of Northern Ireland's qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

Also included despite fitness concerns is Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Pierce Charles.

Charles, 20, has been O'Neill's preferred choice in goal since last year's Nations League campaign but he injured his shoulder during Sheffield Wednesday's Championship defeat by Stoke City on Saturday with the Owls confirming on Thursday that he "faces a spell on the sidelines".

"Pierce has an injury, we're in dialogue with Sheffield Wednesday, we don't know the extent of that in full yet," O'Neill told BBC Sport NI.

On the difficulty of including an injured player, O'Neill added: "We have two weeks before we play so we have to make sure that we give ourselves every chance that he can be fit to play if selected.

"We also need cover if not and that's what we'll do. At the moment, the club and our own medical team are in regular dialogue. It's only come to light in the past 24 hours and hopefully the player will get good news before we meet up, but we'll have to wait and see."

With his usual international understudy, Plymouth Argyle's Conor Hazard, yet to play this season because of an injury sustained against Denmark in June, O'Neill has recalled Bailey Peacock-Farrell.

The Birmingham City stopper, who is on loan at Blackpool, has won 48 caps for the side but has not been named in an international panel since September 2024.

Defenders Paddy McNair and Eoin Toal also return after missing the June friendlies through injury, while Stevenage striker Jamie Reid's strong start to the League One season has been rewarded with an international recall.

Northern Ireland squad

Goalkeepers: Pierce Charles (Sheffield Wednesday), Bailey Peacock-Farrell (Blackpool, on loan from Birmingham City), Luke Southwood (Bristol Rovers).

Defenders: Trai Hume and Daniel Ballard (both Sunderland), Brodie Spencer (Oxford United), Conor Bradley (Liverpool), Ruairi McConville (Norwich City), Paddy McNair (San Diego), Eoin Toal (Bolton Wanderers), Terry Devlin (Portsmouth).

Midfielders: George Saville (Luton Town), Shea Charles (Southampton), Alistair McCann (Preston North End), Ethan Galbraith (Swansea City), Brad Lyons (Kilmarnock), Justin Devenny (Crystal Palace), Caolan Boyd-Munce (Wycombe Wanderers), Isaac Price (West Bromwich Albion), Paul Smyth (Queens Park Rangers), Callum Marshall (West Ham United), Jamie Donley (Stoke City, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur).

Forwards: Dion Charles (Huddersfield Town), Jamie Reid (Stevenage), Dale Taylor (Blackpool), Ronan Hale (Ross County).