Warren Feeney has added to the decimation of Nigel Worthington’s Northern Ireland squad to play Morocco by pulling out.
Oldham Athletic striker Feeney is the sixth player to withdraw from Worthington’s initial squad for the Windsor Park friendly, following Wednesday’s defections of Maik Taylor (Birmingham), Chris Baird (Fulham), Corry Evans (Manchester United), Sammy Clingan (Coventry) and Grant McCann (Peterborough).
It all means that Worthington is left with a squad of 14 to face the north Africans in Belfast on Wednesday.
A back injury is the reason for Feeney pulling out, while Taylor has a shoulder problam, Baird a torn thigh muscle and Evans an ongoing hamstring issue.
Added to that, Clingan is out for four to six weeks after sustaining knee ligament damage in his side’s 2-1 Championship defeat at Nottingham Forest on Tuesday, and McCann pulled out as his side have an FA Cup replay the week of the game.
Record goalscorer David Healy may now be recalled after initially being left out. The Sunderland striker has just joined Doncaster Rovers on loan and scored twice in two appearances for them. Burnley's Martin Paterson is another surprise absentee who could now get drafted back in.
Northern Ireland squad: Tuffey (Inverness), Blayney (Linfield), J Evans (Man United), Craigan (Motherwell), McCartney (Sunderland), McAuley (Ipswich), Hughes (Fulham), Brunt (West Brom), Gorman (Wolves), Davis (Rangers), McGinn (Celtic), McCourt (Celtic), Lafferty (Rangers), Patterson (Plymouth).