Dan Ballard ruled out as Northern Ireland hit by Italy play-off blow | OneFootball

Sunderland centre-back Dan Ballard has been ruled out of Northern Ireland’s World Cup qualifying play-off semi-final against Italy on Thursday after a hamstring injury.

According to Sunderland Echo, he suffered the problem in the defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion, went off in the second half, then missed Sunday’s Tyne-Wear Derby win at Newcastle United. He had initially travelled with Michael O’Neill’s squad for Bergamo.

He has been replaced by 19-year-old Tom Atcheson in O’Neill’s 28-man squad. The Blackburn Rovers defender, at a club currently led on an interim basis by O’Neill, is uncapped at senior level but has been a youth regular.

The setback comes with Liverpool full-back Conor Bradley and Preston North End defender Jamal Lewis already unavailable, with Lewis having recently undergone ankle surgery.

Earlier, the precise extent of Ballard’s problem was unclear, with the medical team liaising with clubs and several players having sat out the weekend. The squad was considered as strong as possible despite those absences.

The winners will meet Wales or Bosnia-Herzegovina for a place at this summer’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Source: Sunderland Echo