Northern Ireland – Iceland: Captain Simon Magill is out of the play-off in the UEFA Nations League

The loss of Magill is a blow to Oxtoby, with the Birmingham City forward suffering a thigh injury after a strong start to the WSL2 season.

Magill played a key role in Northern Ireland finishing second in their UEFA Nations League group, scoring twice in as many matches for the Blues this season.

Following Dugdale’s retirement and injuries to Rafferty and Mason, McFadden’s return to the Northern Ireland squad came at the right time following a long-term injury and the birth of her second child.

The 38-year-old, who has won 106 caps, will provide valuable experience to the young defense in the playoff.

Her Durham team-mate McFarland, 25, has earned her first senior call-up after representing Northern Ireland on several occasions at youth level.

Midfielder Moore, 18, scored 12 goals as Glentoran won the Women’s Super League title on the final day against rivals Cliftonville.

Left-back Demi Vance, who was a key part of Northern Ireland’s trip to Euro 2022, has fallen out of favor under Oxtoby and has not featured since September 2024.

In May, Vance said she would “always be fit, ready and available to play” if Oxtoby called her up, but the IFA said the 34-year-old, along with Cliftonville captain Burrows, had made themselves “unavailable” for the play-off.

Oktobi said her team’s youthful form in the Iceland play-off was “exciting”.

“We have a very young group this time and they are all very excited to be part of the setup,” the Australian said.

“We do a lot of work in the background to make sure they feel prepared when they arrive.

“It’s a huge window for us, but more importantly it’s a huge challenge to see where some of our young players are at.”