Sanchez recalls quartet for Austria clash

Lawrie Sanchez saw his selection options improve dramatically tonight when four of the five players who pulled out of the World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan tomorrow became available for the match with Austria on Wednesday.

Norwich’s Paul McVeigh, George McCartney of Sunderland, Gary Hamilton of Portadown and Crewe’s Steve Jones will now come into contention.

Danny Sonner of Peterborough remains absent because of a family bereavement.

An Irish Football Association spokesman confirmed: “The four players will report to the team hotel on Sunday.”

The suddenly availability of the quartet followed the decision by Sanchez to invoke FIFA’s four-day rule.

Had they not attended the Austria match, they would have been ineligible to play next weekend.

Sanchez explained his dilemma earlier when he said: “The clubs are not happy. But all international managers have a problem with call-offs whether you are at the top or the bottom.

“It is a bigger problem now because of the rewards in club football. Clubs always want their best players to be available to them.

“But when we come to World Cup games, FIFA allow me to have priority for these players.

“The four-day rule is for those clubs, players, whatever, who might think, ‘I will miss this trip and be available for my club’. It just takes it out of the equation for them.

“There is no benefit for them missing international football.

“If they are injured they have extra time to recover. If they were not injured then the club don’t benefit for them not turning up for international football.

“I know a couple of days can make a difference, players can recover and be fit.

“But it is disappointing for fans of the international team to see someone miss two games, then suddenly reappear for their club the following Saturday.

“Dealing with the clubs and players is the biggest bane of any international manager’s job. The rest is fantastic.”

Sanchez will be forced to make at least three changes from the team which drew in Wales as leading scorer David Healy, Michael Hughes and Tony Capaldi are all suspended.

Stuart Elliott (Hull), Tommy Doherty (Bristol City) and Chris Baird (Southampton) look set to return to the starting line-up in Baku.

Sanchez knows this is a crucial week for his team after taking just one point from their first two qualifiers.

However Northern Ireland are not short of confidence after six matches unbeaten on the road, comprising three wins and three draws.

“Results have improved, “ said Sanchez. “We now score goals and offer more of a threat.

“This group of players have responded to what we have tried to put to them.

“The team spirit in Cardiff summed up the spirit in the camp.

“The Azerbaijan game is one we should be looking to win if we want to do anything in this group.

“You grade the games from one to 10 on the list, from hardiest to easiest, and this is ninth on the list.

“I would settle for four points from the next two games. That would mean we would probably go into the England game (in March) third in the group.”

Defender Mark Williams is determined to make his mark at the Bakramov National Stadium.

Williams is back playing for MK Dons after an unsuccessful spell in the United States with Columbus Crew.

He said: “I will stay aggressive as that is what my game is al about.

“That’s how I went about the job in Wales and I will do the same tomorrow.

“We came out of that game with a lot of credit and now we have to build on that performance.”