Wales vs Northern Ireland – Match preview and team news
Wales face Northern Ireland in an international friendly match on Tuesday at Cardiff City Stadium. Both teams come to this match after losing in the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup play-offs.Wales ...
Wales vs Northern Ireland – Match preview and team news Wales face Northern Ireland in an international friendly match on Tuesday at Cardiff City Stadium. Both teams come to this match after losing in the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup play-offs. Wales vs Northern Ireland – Match preview and team news Date: Tuesday, 31st March Kick-off: 7:45pm BST Venue: Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff Last meeting: Wales 1-0 Northern Ireland, UEFA EURO 2016, 25th June 2016 Wales team news Manager Craig Bellamy is forced into significant changes following the penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The squad is missing several veteran leaders, with Ben Davies, Chris Mepham and Connor Roberts all sidelined through injury, while captain Aaron Ramsey remains absent from the current window. Further complicating matters, young midfielder Jordan James is unavailable after limping off in the previous match. This injury crisis opens the door for a youthful experimental side in Cardiff.
Sorba Thomas is expected to be handed a starting role after an energetic substitute appearance last week, while uncapped or inexperienced defenders like Ronan Kpakio and Dylan Lawlor are in contention for minutes. Bellamy is likely to use this fixture to blood the next generation, balancing the experience of Ethan Ampadu with a frontline likely featuring Nathan Broadhead and Liam Cullen. Northern Ireland team news Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill is dealing with a depleted squad after four key players — Bailey Peacock-Farrell, Paddy McNair, Ruairi McConville, and Ali McCann — returned to their respective clubs following the defeat to Italy.
With Conor Bradley, Daniel Ballard and Jamal Lewis also unavailable, the visitors will field a highly experimental XI. The spotlight is firmly on 19-year-old Liverpool prospect Kieran Morrison, who is tipped to earn his first senior cap in a midfield anchored by Shea Charles. Pierce Charles is expected to retain his spot in goal, while Trai Hume and Brodie Spencer will provide much-needed energy on the flanks.