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Belfast Live
Belfast Live
Sport
Gareth Fullerton

Northern Ireland boss Michael O'Neill insists players will 'prepare as normal' for Euro playoff

Michael O'Neill insists it is business as usual as far as Northern Ireland's preparations go for this month's Euro 2020 playoff.

O'Neill named a 26-man squad on Tuesday for the crunch clash against Bosnia-Herzegovina on March 26.

Speculation is mounting that the game in Zenica could be played behind closed doors.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Bosnian Football Federation said it was postponing ticket sales for the fixture due to concerns over the further spread of coronavirus.

The Irish FA is awaiting more details from the Bosnian FA and Uefa, while Northern Ireland manager O'Neill insists he will prepare his team as normal for the semi-final playoff.

"It's not really my concern," O'Neill said.

"Having been involved in international football for eight years I know you can have the best preparation in the world going into a game, but ultimately it's what happens in the week going into a game that matters most, whether down to play availability or whatever situation you're faced with.

"This is another situation that's not really in our control, so dwelling on it too much is not really beneficial.

"From our point of view the most important thing is our preparation, how we prepare to make sure we're ready to play on the Thursday night."

He added: “We are fully aware of the dangers that this Bosnian team has but we have proven that we can score in these big games now.”

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