Bradley returns for Northern Ireland friendlies

Liverpool defender Conor Bradley will return for Northern Ireland’s friendlies against Denmark and Iceland next month.

Michael O’Neill’s side will travel to Copenhagen on 7 June before hosting Iceland in Belfast three days later in what are the last games before the 2026 World Cup qualifiers begin in September.

Bradley missed the friendlies in March against Switzerland and Sweden with a hamstring injury, but returned for Liverpool in the closing stages of their title-winning Premier League campaign before penning a new long-term deal at Anfield.

Sunderland duo Dan Ballard and Trai Hume, who will be involved in the Championship play-off final this weekend, are also back in the squad after injuries in March, the latter playing against Switzerland but not Sweden.

Preston North End midfielder Ali McCann and Huddersfield Town striker Dion Charles return to the panel.

However, Jordan Thompson, Eoin Toal and Josh Magennis miss out on the 26-man squad through injuries.

Motherwell defender Kofi Balmer and Rangers winger Ross McCausland are also absent.

In March, Northern Ireland drew 1-1 with Switzerland before falling to a 5-1 loss to Sweden.

O’Neill’s side begin their bid to qualify for next year’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico with an away game against Luxembourg on 4 September before travelling to four-time world champions Germany three days later.

Goalkeepers: Pierce Charles (Sheffield Wednesday), Conor Hazard (Plymouth Argyle), Luke Southwood (Bolton Wanderers).

Defenders: Trai Hume and Daniel Ballard (both Sunderland), Brodie Spencer (Huddersfield Town), Conor Bradley (Liverpool), Ruairi McConville (Norwich City), Paddy McNair (San Diego FC), Terry Devlin (Portsmouth), Aaron Donnelly (Dundee).

Midfielders: George Saville (Millwall), Shea Charles (Southampton), Alistair McCann (Preston North End), Isaac Price (West Bromwich Albion), Paul Smyth (Queens Park Rangers), Ethan Galbraith (Leyton Orient), Brad Lyons (Kilmarnock), Justin Devenny (Crystal Palace), Caolan Boyd-Munce (St Mirren), Callum Marshall (West Ham United), Jamie Donley (Leyton Orient, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur).