Northern Ireland play Bosnia in Euro 2020 qualifying game and Austria and Norway in Nations League
Monday 5 October 2020 17:15, UK
Jonny Evans has been named in a strong 26-man Northern Ireland squad for the three internationals this month.
The matches include a Euro 2020 qualifying play-off game against Bosnia and Herzegovina and UEFA Nations League matches against Austria and Norway.
Evans, 32, missed both of Northern Ireland's fixtures in September through a combination of personal reasons and injury, and did not play his first game of the season until Leicester's 5-2 win over Manchester City a little over a week ago.
He was substituted in that match after his calf tightened up, but there had been no further concerns over his fitness until he took the knock in Sunday's 3-0 home reverse to the Hammers, in which he played all 90 minutes.
However, Northern Ireland boss Ian Baraclough is confident the defender will be fit for the crucial decider on Thursday evening and subsequent Nations League games against Austria and Norway.
Fellow defender Tom Flanagan also returned after missing September's games for personal reasons, but Matthew Kennedy is out with injury and there was no place for Linfield forward Shayne Lavery.
Northern Ireland will travel to Sarajevo for their crucial showdown with Bosnia and Herzegovina on October 8 - almost seven months after the game was postponed from its original date amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The game could see captain Steven Davis become Northern Ireland's most-capped player after the Rangers midfielder equalled Pat Jennings' record of 119 caps in last month's loss to Norway.
If the visitors can win in Sarajevo, they will face either Slovakia or the Republic of Ireland next month for a place at the rearranged Euro 2020 finals.
Following the Bosnia trip, Baraclough's side will play Austria in Belfast on October 11 and then travel to Oslo to face Norway on October 14.
Northern Ireland squad in full
Goalkeepers: Bailey Peacock-Farrell (Burnley), Michael McGovern (Norwich City), Trevor Carson (Motherwell).
Defenders: Jonathan Evans (Leicester City), Craig Cathcart (Watford), Stuart Dallas (Leeds United), Shane Ferguson (Millwall), Conor McLaughlin (Sunderland), Jamal Lewis (Newcastle United), Michael Smith (Heart of Midlothian), Tom Flanagan (Sunderland), Daniel Ballard (Arsenal).
Midfielders: Steven Davis (Rangers), Corry Evans (Blackburn Rovers), Niall McGinn (Aberdeen), Patrick McNair (Middlesbrough), George Saville (Middlesbrough), Gavin Whyte (Cardiff City), Jordan Jones (Rangers), Jordan Thompson (Stoke City), Joel Cooper (Oxford United), Alistair McCann (St Johnstone).
Forwards: Kyle Lafferty (Reggina), Josh Magennis (Hull City), Conor Washington (Charlton Athletic), Liam Boyce (Heart of Midlothian).
