Ballard to miss Northern Ireland's Italy play-off
Northern Ireland's Dan Ballard will miss the World Cup play-off semi-final against Italy due to a hamstring injury. The defender's absence is a significant blow to Northern Ireland's hopes of reaching the World Cup, with defender Tom Atcheson called up as his replacement.
Northern Ireland defender Dan Ballard will miss the World Cup play-off semi-final against Italy on Thursday. He suffered a hamstring injury during a Premier League match on 14 March. Defender Tom Atcheson has been called up as his replacement. Northern Ireland are already without Liverpool defender Conor Bradley. The team will face Italy in Bergamo, and if they win, they will play against Wales or Bosnia-Herzegovina in the play-off final. The winner will qualify for the World Cup in Group B alongside Canada, Switzerland, and Qatar.
This content was automatically generated and/or translated by AI. It may contain inaccuracies. Please refer to the original sources for verification.