Ian Baraclough has revealed he and his players will operate inside a training and travel bubble for his first game in charge in Bucharest on September 4.
Northern Ireland are set to fly out the day before next month’s Nations League opener in Romania before returning to Belfast after the game to face Norway on September 7.
UEFA has indicated some Nations League games may be moved to neutral venues due to coronavirus, but for now Baraclough is preparing for his senior bow in Bucharest.
“My full focus is on those two games on September 4 and September 7 and until we’re told otherwise, we’re intending to fly to Romania having prepared in Belfast,” he said.
“Hopefully everything’s safe. The Northern Ireland executive has allowed us to go into Romania, stay in our own bubble, play the game and come out that night.”
The timing of next month’s double header isn’t ideal with the new English Premier League, Championship and League One seasons not scheduled to kick off until September 12.
“I always knew it would be challenging,” he said. “Some of our players won’t have kicked a ball since March but those are the challenges and we’ve got to deal with it.”
Due to lockdown and the constraints of working during a global pandemic, Baraclough has had to hold initial talks with his players remotely.
He said “I haven’t met players face-to-face but I’ve spoken to probably 34 or 35 of them. It’s a whole different scenario from what we would have seen on any other season.
“Players are in various stages, some starting pre-seasons, some still on lockdown, some still in self-imposed isolation, some out of contract, some signing for new clubs.
“I had good conversations with a lot of them but mainly I’ve spoken face-to-face with staff.”
