FOOTBALL: O’Neill and McKinlay face Norway friendly test

MICHAEL O’NEILL and his assistant Billy McKinlay take charge of Northern Ireland for the first time tomorrow night when Norway visit Windsor Park.

McKinlay joined O’Neill’s staff last week, with the pair having known each other since their playing days at Dundee United.

They have already received praise from the Northern Ireland players, with Peterborough midfielder Grant McCann saying of O’Neill: “He’s a really positive manager and Billy McKinlay is a really good coach too, so we’re excited.”

O’Neill is already without first-choice players Kyle Lafferty and Chris Brunt through injury, with Craig Cathcart and Warren Feeney also ruled out yesterday, but Dean Shiels, Shane Ferguson and Michael Duff return to the squad after lengthy absences.

McCann is hopeful of a morale-boosting win, adding: “I would say a good result is the main thing. If we can do it with a good performance then so be it, we’d like that, but we’ll take it however we can. Our record in friendlies has been pretty terrible to be honest and we’re hoping to put the record straight.

“People say friendlies don’t mean anything, but a bad result can stick in your mind a bit. If we do well on Wednesday that can be a real help.”

No announcement has yet been made on who will captain the side, with previous skipper Aaron Hughes back in the fray having reversed his decision to retire at the end of the previous qualifying campaign.

However, Rangers midfielder Steven Davis, who deputised against Estonia and Italy in the side’s last two matches is also an option.