Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill said it "would certainly be nice" for the injured Conor Bradley to still be a part of the squad for their 2026 World Cup play-off against Italy in March. Former Northern Ireland international Stephen Craigan said that he felt Bradley should still travel to Italy as additional motivation for the squad and O'Neill hopes that can come to pass should the Premier League side allow it. "The training base is in Liverpool, so it is convenient for Conor to drop in and see us," he told BBC Sport NI. "I'll speak to him and have been speaking to him, that's something for closer to the time and for his club to decide if it is right. "He will be two or three months into his recovery [so] we'll play it by ear, but it would certainly be nice to have him around if possible."