Northern Ireland Goalkeeper Pierce Charles Ruled Out of World Cup Qualifiers
Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Pierce Charles has been ruled out of Northern Ireland's opening two World Cup qualifiers.
The 19-year-old sustained a shoulder injury during Wednesday's Championship defeat to Stoke City.
Initially included in manager Michael O'Neill's squad announced on Thursday, Charles has now been sidelined following further medical evaluation.
Northern Ireland is set to face Luxembourg in their first qualifier on September 4 and will play against Germany four days later. Both matches will be available for viewing on BBC Two NI, BBC iPlayer, and the BBC Sport website.
"Unfortunately, we’ll be without Pierce," O'Neill informed Sportsound on BBC Radio Ulster. "We sought a second opinion regarding his shoulder, and he is definitely out."
Plymouth goalkeeper Conor Hazard is also unavailable due to injury, leading O'Neill to acknowledge that the team is "a bit stretched" in the goalkeeping department.
The manager stated he would evaluate his options for the upcoming qualifiers and that a replacement for Charles would be announced before the squad convenes on the following Sunday.
Bailey Peacock-Farrell, who has 48 caps and is currently playing regularly with Blackpool, is a seasoned choice for O'Neill, although he has not been included in a squad since September 2024. Luke Southwood, meanwhile, has earned just one international cap.
"We’re stretched a bit in that situation," O'Neill added. "Bailey is an experienced goalkeeper, so we need to make the best of all available options."