Lavery confident NI can shine despite loss of key players

Northern Ireland striker Shayne Lavery believes nan squad has "a batch of potential" contempt nan nonaccomplishment of immoderate knowledgeable players successful caller years.

Jonny Evans past week became nan latest Northern Ireland stalwart to discontinue from world football, pursuing Steven Davis and Craig Cathcart. Stuart Dallas, meanwhile, was forced to discontinue because of injury.

While Lavery admits that Evans successful peculiar will beryllium difficult to replace, he thinks location is capable talent successful nan squad to thief Northern Ireland get their Nations League run disconnected to a bully commencement pinch victories against Luxembourg and Bulgaria complete nan adjacent week.

"You look astatine Trai Hume, Conor Bradley and Daniel Ballard they each person a batch of caps themselves, truthful I deliberation it is very breathtaking and this squad has a batch of potential," he told BBC Sport NI.

"Obviously, it is simply a young squad and Jonny retiring past week is going to beryllium a large miss, but these are bully games to gel arsenic a squad and hopefully we tin get 2 wins."

Former Linfield guardant Lavery joined League One broadside Cambridge United this summertime aft an wounded plagued 3 years pinch Blackpool.

He has netted 2 goals successful 4 convention games and is hoping to return his nine shape onto nan world shape if he gets nan chance to characteristic successful nan double-header.

"I'm loving it truthful far. The lads person been awesome pinch me, it's a really bully spot to unrecorded and I'm enjoying my shot truthful hopefully it continues," said nan 25-year-old.

"I did a batch of activity complete nan summertime to make judge I was successful nan champion information for nan play and I'm emotion bully successful myself and crisp connected nan pitch.

"I've played a fewer 90 minutes for Cambridge this play truthful I'm hoping to get a sniff successful these 2 games and return my chance."

Northern Ireland big Luxembourg connected Thursday (19:45 BST) earlier facing Bulgaria successful Plovdiv connected Sunday (17:00).