Off we go!

It's so cold you could see the players' breath as they sang the anthems.

Let's hope they fancy a quick start to warm up.

Michael O'Connor
Former Northern Ireland international on BBC Radio Ulster

The thing for Michael is trying to get these boys minutes before the next campaign, going towards 2028. Some of these boys could be big players come then.

Here's a reminder of the Northern Ireland team to face Finland.

Image source, BBC Sport

Warren Feeney
Former Northern Ireland striker on BBC Radio Ulster

I know how Michael feels with the amount of injuries and withdraws he has had in this moment and time, it is hard for him to get settled.

But it's a chance for blooding a few in, it's good to see McCausland in and Price again, who I thought was exceptional when he came on.

It gives more minutes for those ones but I'm sure he'll want to pick up a couple of points, but it's going to be a tough, tough game.

Mark Sterling
BBC Sport NI at the Olympic Stadium

The Northern Ireland fans are housed in a corner of the stadium to the right of the press box and are making themselves heard as kick-off approaches.

They are clearly acclimatising well.

The stadium lights have dimmed and the atmosphere is building.

Nearly show time!

Image source, Press Eye

George Saville, on his 50th cap, and Finnish goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky lead the teams out at the Olympic Stadium.

The Northern Ireland fans are making plenty of noise at the minute before the teams come out.

One way to stay warm, I suppose. Not that they need much encouragement anyway.

Image source, Pre

Image source, pre

Mark Sterling
BBC Sport NI at the Olympic Stadium

Not going to lie, I'm feeling more than a little envious of our BBC Radio Ulster colleagues right now.

While us hacks, sorry written journalists, brave the freezing cold in the press box, commentator Michael McNamee and his co-commentator, former Northern Ireland defender John O'Neill, are in what could best be described as raised pod that is hanging from the roof of the stand.

It's fully enclosed, warm and with a perfect view of the pitch, too.

How the other half live, eh? These photos maybe don't do it justice but gives you an idea.

Image source, Inpho

As he prepares to captain Northern Ireland for the first time, George Saville has revealed he still feels the hurt of previous disappointments.

Saville, 30, will wear the captain's armband on what will be his 50th cap in Friday night's penultimate Euro 2024 qualifier against Finland in Helsinki.

Since his debut in May 2017, the Millwall man has lost in a play-off for the 2018 World Cup and the 2020 Euros.

"There's a lot of scar tissue. I'd be lying if I said there wasn't," he said.

Mark Sterling
BBC Sport NI at the Olympic Stadium

It is expected that around 550 Northern Ireland fans have made the trip to Helsinki for tonight's match.

Given how cold it is, with it currently sitting at -5 degrees and free hand-warmers being available outside the stadium, it will be interesting to see how they display their Northern Ireland tops.

Let's just say, fair play to anyone who goes for a top over a jumper or hoody without a big coat.

The people of Helsinki seem extremely welcoming and quite a few of the local pubs have had signs up about drinks offers for NI fans. They'll no doubt have appreciated that in a city that is far from cheap.

Image source, Press Eye

Image source, Press Eye

If you think it is cold in Belfast tonight then check out the forecast for Helsinki.

If you're at the Olympic Stadium then you'd be best to wrap up warm.

BBC Sport's Mark Sterling, or the 'Helsinki Barra Best' as we're now calling him, might be able to shed some light on how it actual feels at the Olympic Stadium.

BBC Sounds

As well as following our live text of the match, you can listen live on BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Sounds from 16:45.

Glentoran manager and ex-Northern Ireland striker Warren Feeney is in the studio along with former international midfield Michael O'Connor and the BBC's Joel Taggart.

Former Northern Ireland defender John O'Neill will be on commentary alongside Michael McNamee.

Mark Sterling
BBC Sport NI in Helsinki

It was interesting watching the dynamic between Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill and George Saville as the midfielder was announced as captain for tonight's match.

The pair did the traditional manager/captain press release in the Olympic Stadium last night, when the Millwall midfielder was unveiled as captain for the night on what will be his 50th cap.

Far from a fan favourite and often the go-to man for criticism, Saville looked undaunted by what he described as a huge honour.

It was nice, too, to see what looked like a good rapport between O'Neill and his new skipper, with the manager going as far as to joke about how grumpy Saville is around the camp - and how he had got even grumpier since being handed the armband.

It was light-hearted, of course, and he went on to praise Saville for his attitude and high standards.

Image source, pre

George Saville will wear the captain's armband this evening as he wins his 50th Northern Ireland cap.

Since making his debut in 2017, Saville has gone 54 hours and 52 minutes without scoring a goal for his country.

Tonight would be the perfect night for that to change.

Image source, Press Eye

We all know about Northern Ireland's injury crisis throughout the campaign.

Of the 23 players in Northern Ireland's squad, the average age is just 21.2.

Just to highlight the youthful nature of the squad, the average caps across the squad is just 18 with George Saville set to join Paddy McNair and Josh Magennis as the only players with 50 caps or more.

Image source, Press Eye

Mark Sterling
BBC Sport NI at the Olympic Stadium

Some people get more excited about what formation Northern Ireland will play in than others.

For those that are intrigued by systems, the nature of Michael O'Neill's teams nearly always throw up a question or two.

With the disclaimer that there are a number of possibilities, it looks like some sort of 5-3-1-1 shape with Paddy McNair, Dan Ballard and Eoin Toal in the middle of the defence, and Trai Hume and Jamal Lewis on the flanks.

Jordan Thompson and captain George Saville will be at the centre of the midfield with debutant Ross McCausland, who becomes the 32nd player to be used by O'Neill in this campaign, leaving Isaac Price to play just off lone striker Dion Charles.

Sound complicated? Yes, I thought so too but it is a best guess scenario.

Northern Ireland

Not even named in the initial squad, Rangers' Ross McCausland has been named to start on his debut in Helsinki.

George Saville comes back into the team as captain on his 50th appearance as one of seven changes from October's defeat by Slovenia.

Conor Hazard replaces Bailey Peacock-Farrell in goal, while Paddy McNair, Dan Ballard, McCausland, Isaac Price and Dion Charles also come into the side.

Shea Charles is suspened, while the injured Jonny Evans, Paul Smyth and Brad Lyons all miss out.

Dale Taylor and Josh Magennis are the other men to make way.

Northern Ireland: Hazard, Hume, Ballard, McNair, Toal, Lewis, Saville, Thompson, McCausland, Price, D Charles.

Subs: McMullan, Southwood, McMenamin, Washington, Jones, Taylor, Marshall, Forbes, Devlin, Spencer, Magennis, Brown.

Image source, Press Eye

Michael O'Neill cancelled Northern Ireland's training on Monday as he only had seven players fit enough to take part. It was the first time he had ever done that across more than eight years as an international manager.

Anyone looking for a snapshot of a campaign to forget will do well to find a better one.

Time on the training pitch with their players is something international bosses crave so, especially for a man as attentive to detail as O'Neill, it is not a decision he would have taken lightly. Instead, they worked on video analysis.

And yet the injury crisis that has severely hindered Northern Ireland's dismal Euro 2024 qualifying campaign has got even worse since then.

Having already lost Manchester United defender and stand-in captain Jonny Evans with an injury sustained last week, O'Neill has since had to deal with the withdrawals of goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell, winger Paul Smyth, midfielder Brad Lyons and full-back Paddy Lyons.

Four of those absentees would almost certainly have started against Finland in Helsinki on Friday night. And that was from a squad named last week without experienced quartet Steven Davis, Stuart Dallas, Corry Evans and Shane Ferguson as well as Conor Bradley and Shayne Lavery. Not to mention the recently-retired Craig Cathcart.

It injected a nervous jeopardy into the normally routine 'any fitness concerns?' question at the pre-match press conference in the bowels of Helsinki's Olympic Stadium.

"We have to get through tonight," a somewhat philosophical O'Neill said ahead of their on-pitch training session on Thursday evening. It was not without a little nervous grin.

"Looking through the squad list today of people who have pretty much been part of the campaign it would have been 15 players who are not with us.

"We've used well over 30 players in terms of putting them on the pitch and more than that when it comes to naming a squad as well.

"It's challenging but that's the nature of the job, there's nothing really you can do about that."

Image source, Inpho

Northern Ireland boss Michael O'Neill has reiterated his belief that Casement Park being a venue for Euro 2028 should not be a source of "conflict".

O'Neill was questioned on the issue after the Irish FA said that Windsor Park cannot be expanded to make it an alternative venue as a host ground.

The IFA was responding to a suggestion from the Amalgamation of Official Northern Ireland Supporters' Clubs to bring Windsor up to the 30,000-capacity needed to stage games in a tournament being hosted by the UK and Ireland.

"This is a sporting event and to be part of a sporting event as a home nation is a special thing," O'Neill said in Helsinki while preparing for his side's Euro 2024 qualifier against Finland on Friday night.

"The opportunity to host a major tournament in our own country is something that I think we should embrace as opposed to have it as a point of argument or conflict as it seems to be at this moment in time."

Image source, Inpho

The Casement Park debate isn't going away any time soon.

The Irish FA says there is "no route to fund an expansion" of Windsor Park to make it an alternative venue for Euro 2028 - if the redevelopment of Casement Park is not completed in time.

The IFA responded to a suggestion from the Amalgamation of Official Northern Ireland Supporters' Clubs to bring Windsor Park up to the required capacity for Euro 2028 games.

Casement Park, a gaelic games ground, will be NI's host venue with a capacity of 34,500 but there are concerns over whether it will be ready in time.

Windsor Park is the home of the Northern Ireland team, but its all-seater capacity of 18,500 is well below the minimum 30,000 requirement for the tournament finals.

Some Northern Ireland fans displayed banners critical of the Casement Park plan at last month's match against San Marino at Windsor Park, while there were also a number of negative chants.