To be involved in this squad is unreal, but to be two games away from a World Cup is crazy." While Northern Ireland will be missing some key figures including Conor Bradley and Dan Ballard, Italy also have concerns with midfielder Sandro Tonali missing Newcastle United's weekend defeat by Sunderland with a groin injury. However, Galbraith insists Northern Ireland are preparing for the best version of Italy who he acknowledges will be "under a lot of pressure" to reach their first World Cup since 2014. Although Northern Ireland finished third in their qualifying group, performances in the defeats by Germany brought positives and Galbraith feels they can act as good preparation for their Italian test. On Wednesday, 25 March watch a special preview show with Italy and Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport app and website from 19:00 GMT.

Source: BBC March 25, 2026 18:06 UTC