Ten feels lucky for Michael

NORTHERN IRELAND’S players will begin to set their sights on World Cup qualification if they defeat Norway today, according to manager Michael O’neill.

Victory over the Scandinavians in Belfast would move the Irish to 10 points at the halfway stage and O’neill (above) sees that figure as a magic marker for his squad’s attitude to reaching Russia 2018.

“Get to double figures and your mindset changes a little bit and youw start to think qualification is a more realistic proposition,” he said.

“As long as you keep momentum in the campaign, it’s not difficult for me to retain the focus for the players because we don’t have one in our squad who’s been to a World Cup.

“I’m sure the experience they had in the Euros last summer, they would love to have that again at the biggest tournament of all. I suppose that’s all we need in terms of a motivation.”

The Norway challenge appears more difficult since the experienced Lars Lagerback took charge, Lagerback guided Sweden to five successive major tournaments and led Iceland to the Euro 2016 quarter-finals.

“I would expect to see a lot of British-based players in Lars’ starting XI,” said O’neill. “We have a fair idea how they’ll play. I think it will be a very British game and decided by who on the day wants it more.”

O’neill’s options have been reduced by injuries. Both Corry Evans (groin) and Aaron Hughes (calf) have been ruled out and Josh Magennis is rated extremely doubtful because of a hamstring problem.

Then there is the issue of Kyle Lafferty’s fitness. Northern Ireland’s talisman has three goals already in qualifying – more than the number of starts he has accrued for Norwich.

O’neill said: “His overall fitness is very good, match fitness is a different thing. But the thing about Kyle is however long we play him for, we know we will get something from him. He is still very important to us.”