# Ali McCann to Miss Northern Ireland’s Euro 2024 Qualifiers with Calf Injury
Preston midfielder Ali McCann will miss Northern Ireland’s home Euro 2024 qualifiers against San Marino and Slovenia due to a calf injury. The 23-year-old’s withdrawal leaves manager Michael O’Neill with a 24-man squad and no plans to call up a replacement. McCann is returning to the Championship club in order to receive treatment.
O’Neill has no other fresh injury concerns for Saturday’s San Marino game and Tuesday’s contest against Slovenia. Teenage West Ham United striker Callum Marshall and on-loan Watford left-back Jamal Lewis have been recalled to the squad with long-term injured quartet Stuart Dallas, Corry Evans, Shane Ferguson and captain Steven Davis still unavailable.
Northern Ireland go into Saturday’s game having lost five successive Group H qualifiers and with their hopes of securing a place in the finals in Germany long since ended.
## Ali McCann’s Injury
Preston midfielder Ali McCann will miss Northern Ireland’s home Euro 2024 qualifiers against San Marino and Slovenia due to a calf injury. The 23-year-old’s withdrawal leaves manager Michael O’Neill with a 24-man squad and no plans to call up a replacement. McCann is returning to the Championship club in order to receive treatment.
The injury is a blow for McCann, who has been a regular starter for Preston this season, making 20 appearances in all competitions. He has also been a regular for Northern Ireland, making his debut in 2019 and playing in nine of their last 10 internationals.
## Northern Ireland’s Squad
O’Neill has no other fresh injury concerns for Saturday’s San Marino game and Tuesday’s contest against Slovenia. Teenage West Ham United striker Callum Marshall and on-loan Watford left-back Jamal Lewis have been recalled to the squad with long-term injured quartet Stuart Dallas, Corry Evans, Shane Ferguson and captain Steven Davis still unavailable.
Northern Ireland go into Saturday’s game with a 24-man squad that includes experienced players such as Jonny Evans, Paddy McNair, George Saville and Conor Washington. There are also some promising young players such as Marshall, Lewis, Jordan Thompson, Gavin Whyte and Bailey Peacock-Farrell.
## Northern Ireland’s Hopes
Northern Ireland go into Saturday’s game having lost five successive Group H qualifiers and with their hopes of securing a place in the finals in Germany long since ended. However, they can still finish third in the group if they can pick up some points in their remaining games.
O’Neill will be hoping his side can put in a good performance against San Marino and Slovenia and pick up some points to end their qualifying campaign on a high. He will also be looking for his players to use these games as an opportunity to gain experience ahead of future international tournaments.
## Conclusion
Ali McCann’s injury is a blow for both Preston and Northern Ireland but the squad still has plenty of quality players that can step up in his absence. Northern Ireland may have missed out on qualification for Euro 2024 but they can still finish third in their group if they can pick up some points in their remaining games. O’Neill will be hoping his side can put in a good performance against San Marino and Slovenia and end their qualifying campaign on a high.