Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill believes his squad has recovered well and is ready for another demanding Nations League fixture as they prepare to face Ukraine in Slovakia.
O’Neill’s side have made an unbeaten start to the international window, collecting four points from their opening two matches. Shea Charles scored a late winner in a 1-0 victory over Georgia in Tbilisi before Northern Ireland returned to Belfast and held Hungary to a goalless draw.
The Hungary game came shortly after a lengthy trip to Georgia, with the squad completing a round journey of around 5,000 miles. Northern Ireland appeared to lose some energy towards the end of Monday’s match, but O’Neill has reported no major concerns ahead of the third fixture of their four-game schedule.
The manager believes the relatively young profile of his squad has helped players recover quickly between matches, leaving Northern Ireland in a strong physical position for Friday’s encounter.
Ukraine have also taken four points from their first two Nations League games. They opened with a 1-0 victory over Hungary before drawing 0-0 with Georgia.
Although Ukraine are officially the home side, the fixture will be staged in Slovakia rather than Ukraine. O’Neill expects a difficult contest against a team he considers further along in its development, with Ukraine entering the match as favourites.
Northern Ireland, however, have regularly performed well when expectations are lower. O’Neill sees the underdog role as one his players are comfortable with as they look to extend their unbeaten start and strengthen their position in the group.