Michael O’Neill plays down fears after Kyle Lafferty limps out of training

Northern Ireland received a pre-Euro 2016 scare when Kyle Lafferty limped out of training yesterday, though boss Michael O’Neill insisted there are “no major concerns” over the key striker’s groin problem.

Lafferty, who scored seven goals in qualification to fire the country to France, appeared to injure himself stretching to make an intervention during a public training session at Saint-Georges-de-Reneins.

After going down on the pitch, he went inside for medical assessment and did not return for the rest of training.

However, O’Neill spoke afterwards in an attempt to quell fears over Lafferty’s fitness five days before they kick off their Euro 2016 campaign against Poland in Nice.

“It’s fine, it’s precautionary, we have no major concerns there,” O’Neill said.

“It’s a little twist, but on examination we don’t expect any major issues at all. We’re just being careful, we’re more concerned about the thunder and lightning, to be honest!”

Asked about the extent of Lafferty’s groin problem, O’Neill replied: “He just twisted it a little bit there when he slipped, the pitch is hard.

“Those little situations are always liable to happen, no major concerns there at all.”