O’Neill fears play-off bans for six stars

NORTHERN IRELAND fear their hopes of reaching the World Cup finals through the play-offs could be wrecked by suspensions.

Six senior players — captain Steven Davis, Jonny Evans and his brother Corry, Stuart Dallas, Oliver Norwood and Josh Magennis — are on a booking going into the final two Group C games against Germany and Norway. Another yellow card would bring a one-match ban that could carry over into the play-offs.

Manager Michael O’Neill cannot rest his players and risk a hammering at the hands of Germany on Thursday, or defeat away to Norway on Sunday that could damage his country’s chances of reaching the play-offs. And O’Neill believes the rules should be changed to increase the number of bookings allowed.

‘It doesn’t make any sense to me,’ he said. ‘UEFA with the three bookings is a fairer system. For a small nation, it puts a big strain on the squad. Our squad isn’t strong enough to leave out five or six players who are on bookings.

‘I’m sure other countries are the same, coming into a potential play- off and possibly missing players through suspension.

‘We’ve had one suspension in this campaign. We just hope that doesn’t catch up with us.’