Blackpool's Shayne Lavery misses out on Northern Ireland call-up due to injury

The striker is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury that he suffered during the recent defeat to Reading.

Head coach Mick McCarthy revealed the setback would keep the 24-year-old out for six to eight weeks, meaning he’s unlikely to be back until mid-April.

As a result, Lavery has not been named in Northern Ireland’s 26-man squad for their upcoming qualifiers.

Michael O’Neill’s side begin their campaign later this month with games against San Marino (March 23) and Finland (March 26).

Lavery has earned 15 caps for his country to date, scoring twice. His last appearance came back in September when he scored in a 3-1 Nations League defeat to Greece.

It’s been a frustrating campaign for the former Linfield man, who has scored twice in 29 appearances for the Seasiders.

That frustration was only compounded in February when he was forced to hobble off after only 21 minutes against Reading.

It was especially frustrating for the forward given he had only just returned from an ankle problem.

It leaves Jerry Yates and Gary Madine as Blackpool’s only available strikers, with Jake Beesley sidelined for the remainder of the season with a fractured foot.

Former Seasiders Dan Ballard, Jordan Thompson and Dion Charles are included in Northern Ireland’s squad as they look to qualify for next year’s Euros.

Denmark, Slovenia and Kazakhstan are also part of Group H.

O’Neill returned to the Northern Ireland setup in December following Ian Baraclough’s sacking.