MIDDLESBROUGH, Newcastle and Sunderland players are all part of Northern Ireland's squad for the crunch Euro 2024 qualifying double header this month.

Boro's Paddy McNair, Newcastle's Jamal Lewis and Sunderland's Trai Hume have all been named in an injury-hit squad, with boss Michael O'Neill including five uncapped players and a total of 15 with fewer than 10 caps for the games against Denmark and Kazakhstan.

O'Neill's men travel to Copenhagen to face Denmark on Friday June 16 before taking on Kazakhstan at Windsor Park the following Monday.

Although Jonny Evans returns from the hamstring injury that prevented him from adding to his 100 caps in March, Steven Davis, Stuart Dallas, Corry Evans, Liam Boyce, Josh Magennis, Conor Washington and Shane Ferguson remain sidelined, forcing O’Neill to rely on youth.

When O’Neill returned to the Northern Ireland job in December there was an opportunity to capitalise on a favourable qualifying draw, and although that remains possible, the absence of his most experienced players is making it a much tougher ask.

McNair, with 60 senior caps, has crucial experience and a major role in O'Neill's squad, with the former Stoke boss recently telling of the importance of the Boro defender's leadership.

Hume, meanwhile, made his senior international debut last year but looks set to be a key man for Northern Ireland in the coming years on the back of an outstanding season in the Championship with Sunderland.

Lewis has played 30 games for Northern Ireland but faces an uncertain club future after a season spent on the fringes at Newcastle.

The full-back only played seven minutes of Premier League football for the Magpies this season and made two appearances in cup competitions.

Boss Eddie Howe said last month: “The future is a little bit unclear for him.

“He’s very much a valued member of our squad at the moment.

“I’m very aware I’ve not been able to give him the football he wants this season but I would say his game has developed behind the scenes.

“The work he’s put in behind the scenes every day to improve himself with the coaches here has been brilliant to see. His game has been in a really good place, just I haven’t been able to give him the opportunities to show that. He’s someone we value and believe.

“As I sit here now, I don’t know what the future will hold for him next year.”

McNair links up with Northern Ireland having established himself as a key man in Michael Carrick's Boro team. He had to be patient during Carrick's early weeks in charge but played the vast majority of games in the second half of the season.

Hume, meanwhile, played 28 of Sunderland's 46 Championship games.

Northern Ireland began with a 2-0 win in San Marino in their group opener, but a 1-0 home defeat to Finland highlighted the difficulties with so many experienced players out injured.

Asked if the job had been harder than envisaged after taking charge for a second time, O’Neill said: “I suppose it depends on what the expectation is for this campaign going forward as well. I still think we have got everything to play for in this campaign.

“The next two games are going to be very important and then obviously we have a double-header away in September (against Slovenia and Kazakhstan) which will be difficult, so we are going to ask a lot of a number of young players in this group.

“The senior players that we have with us, we really can’t afford to lose any more. I think we have eight players out who could all equally play for us, who have all been established players with a high number of caps.

“That is the situation that unfortunately we just have to deal with.”