Celtic’s Rogne to face O’Neill in first match

Celtic defender Thomas Rogne will win his first cap for Norway against Northern Ireland tonight after captain Brede Hangeland was ruled out with a thigh injury.

Rogne had been promised some involvement in the match by coach Egil Olsen and has now been drafted into the starting XI after Fulham centre-half Hangeland dropped out.

Rogne is one of four British-based players set to start at Windsor Park, with Hangeland’s Cottagers team-mate John Arne-Riise in the side alongside Blackburn’s Morten Gamst Pedersen and Erik Huseklepp, who is on loan at Birmingham from Portsmouth.

Michael O’Neill, with Billy McKinlay as his assistant, takes charge of Northern Ireland for the first time, and has only Jamie Ward as a fitness doubt.