Dan Ballard will miss Northern Ireland's crucial World Cup play-off semi-final against Italy on Thursday because of a hamstring injury. The Sunderland defender was forced off during his side's Premier League defeat by Brighton on 14 March and missed Sunday's 2-1 victory over Newcastle. It is unclear at this stage whether Ballard could be fit for a potential play-off final against Wales or Bosnia-Herzegovina should Michael O'Neill's side win in Bergamo. Defender Tom Atcheson, who plays under O'Neill at Blackburn Rovers, has been called up from the Under-21s as his replacement. Italy midfielder Sandro Tonali also missed the Tyne-Wear derby through injury, with the four-time World Cup winners continuing to monitor his fitness before the play-off.

Source: BBC March 23, 2026 07:10 UTC