Dan Ballard is unavailable for Northern Ireland's World Cup play-off semi-final against Italy on Thursday. The Sunderland defender suffered a hamstring injury during domestic duties, according to Sky Sports. The 26-year-old remains at his club for further assessment and treatment rather than joining the international squad in Belfast.
Manager Michael O'Neill confirmed the fitness blow during a press conference at the national stadium. The loss of the regular centre-back leaves the Irish defence short of experience for the trip to Parma. Ballard has been a consistent starter during the qualifying campaign, per The Guardian.
Northern Ireland must defeat the reigning European champions to progress to a play-off final against either Poland or Wales. O'Neill has not yet named a replacement for the defender. The squad travels to Italy on Wednesday ahead of the knockout fixture. Medical staff at Sunderland are monitoring the player's recovery timeline, but he is not expected to feature in either international match during this window.
