With eight international caps and playing regularly at Plymouth Argyle in the Championship before his injury, Hazard would have proven the natural deputy.

Pierce Charles, brother of midfielder Shea Charles, has put in a string of impressive performances for the Northern Ireland Under-21s this year, most especially in an away victory over Serbia in March and then when keeping a clean sheet against England last month.

O’Neill was sufficiently impressed with the 19-year-old to bring him along with the senior squad to Spain for a pair of friendlies in June. Although Charles did not win a first cap, O’Neill cited his ability on the ball as a major attribute to his game.

“Pierce is one of those goalkeepers that everyone is looking for in the modern game,” O’Neill said before those friendlies.

“He’s got great distribution, real composure with the ball at his feet and we know at Sheffield Wednesday they really regard him highly.”

He has, however, been on the bench at Hillsborough with England Under-21 international James Beadle having been handed the number one jersey after his arrival from Brighton and Hove Albion on a season-long loan deal.

In a similar position at his club is Luke Southwood, the 26-year-old who was on the bench against Luxembourg and Bulgaria last month in Hazard’s absence.

The Bolton Wanderers man, who won his sole cap in a 3-1 friendly win over Luxembourg in 2022, did start the 2-2 draw with Shrewsbury Town for his League One side last weekend but has spent the majority of the season behind Nathan Baxter.

O’Neill has consistently stressed a desire for his international players to be regularly playing at as high a level possible at their clubs.

Yet, before two important fixtures for his side, he is left with a decision between two keepers with precious few minutes in league action this season.

Northern Ireland are adjusting to life without Manchester United defender Jonny Evans, who called time on his international career last month. And the keeper who gets the nod will find their task made no easier by the absence of centre-back Dan Ballard through injury.

And yet should either impress in this unexpected opportunity, after Peacock-Farrell’s recent struggles for club and country, it just might give O’Neill something to think about moving towards next year’s World Cup qualifiers.

AFRICAN GAMES champion Clement Kemboi has been found dead at the age of 32.

The body of the former Kenyan athlete was found by police in the town of Iten in his home country on Monday.

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Kemboi’s body has been taken to Iten County Referral Hospital morgue and is awaiting an autopsy.

He is best-known for winning the 3000m steeplechase at the 2015 Africa Games.

Kemboi’s personal best time in the distance came at the Doha Diamond League in 2016 when he ran eight minutes and 10.65 seconds.

This earned him sixth place, five and a half seconds behind winner Conseslus Kipruto.

Kemboi’s PB in the regular 3000m was 7:51:65.

His passing comes after 2016 World Athletics Under-20 800m champion Kipyegon Bett died on Sunday.

Bett had been in and out of hospital with a liver problem, before his sister confirmed his death.

Purity Kirui told BBC Sport Africa: “He had been sick, complaining of stomach pains for about a month. The doctors said he had a liver problem and had been in and out of hospital.

“Last week we took him to hospital after he started vomiting blood and he was admitted. I went to see him (on Sunday) morning and he told me he was in pain.

“He told our dad, who is a pastor, to pray for him because he didn’t feel he would survive and after 12 noon he died. We tried everything to save him, but he left us. It’s very painful.”

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As the two-time defending champions, Barcelona will once again be the overwhelming favourites to lift the trophy in Lisbon in May.

The Spanish side, who have played in the past four finals, are aiming to become just the second club after Lyon to win three straight titles.

Their squad is full of players from Spain’s 2023 World Cup winning side, including Ballon d’Or winners Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas.

Lyon’s dominance in the Women’s Champions League has come to an end in recent years, but the French club will be seen as the biggest challengers to Barcelona, having defeated them in the 2022 final.

However, the eight-time winners are entering a new era without Bompastor at the helm and are yet to prove themselves under former Arsenal boss Joe Montemurro.

Wolfsburg, as two-time winners and runners-up in 2023, would usually be seen as contenders, but their status as Germany’s top team has been stolen by Bayern Munich, who have won the past two Frauen-Bundesliga titles.

Bayern have reached the semi-finals twice before, but they fell in the group stages last season after conceding a late equaliser to PSG in their final group game.

JACK GREALISH has become a dad for the first time after partner Sasha Attwood gave birth to their baby.

The childhood sweethearts have announced the arrival of little Mila while her dad is on England duty.

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Grealish and Sasha, who have been together for ten years, shared a pic of the tot gripping a finger with the words “Mila Rose Grealish 27/09/24”, suggesting she was born last month.

The happy news led to lots of well-wishes from Grealish’s team-mates from the present and the past, with England pal Declan Rice sharing a heart emoji.

Former England star Dele Alli posted “Congrats” with a string of heart emojis, while Aston Villa ace Ross Barkley echoed that with: “Congrats lad.”

Villa hero Ian Taylor posted: “Congratulations mate!”

Grealish’s former Villa Park team-mate Gabriel Agbonlahor wrote: “Congrats bro.”

And ex-Netherlands international Tim Krul issued the following emojis: “🔥🧡.”

Grealish competed for Manchester City on September 28 during a 1-1 draw with Newcastle at St James’ Park, meaning he appears to have gone back to work a day after Mila’s birth.

The couple announced they were expecting in July with Sasha showing off her big baby bump.

She shared the good news on social media along with the caption: “Half of me, half of you – beyond blessed ✨🤍🙏🏻.”

While Grealish, 28, wrote: “Life’s biggest blessing 👶🏻.”

Sasha spent a lot of her pregnancy testing out different clothing and offering tips and advice for other mums-to-be.

She signed a lucrative deal with PrettyLittleThing in the summer and began plugging the brand’s maternity wear to her thousands of social media followers.

Grealish, who is back in the England side after his Euros heartache in the summer, and Sasha first started dating when they were teenagers at school together in Solihull.

Sasha has been with the midfielder throughout his professional football career – supporting him at Villa before the £100million move from their hometown of Birmingham to Manchester in 2021.

She celebrated with the winger on the pitch as he won his second Premier League title with City earlier this year.

Sasha, 28, has helped Grealish ditch his party boy persona and they now have a family, welcoming their child into their £5.6million Cheshire mansion with their beloved apricot cockapoo Skye.

Grealish was given Skye as a birthday present by Sasha, and calls her the “world’s best dog”.

The couple enjoy a glamorous lifestyle which includes five-star holidays to places like Sardinia and Dubai.

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BBC Green Sport Awards Athlete of the Year Imogen Grant wants to use her “platform” and “passion” to help tackle climate change after having her eyes opened to its impacts.

Rower Grant won Olympic gold in Paris earlier this year alongside Emily Craig in the women’s double sculls.

And spending so much time on the water during her sports career has motivated the 28-year-old to become a prominent sustainability advocate.

“Physically experiencing so many of the changes we have seen during the climate crisis – flooding, inclement weather, hot weather, really freezing weather, unbelievable rains and storms – as I am trying to train has really opened my eyes to the impact the climate crisis is having, on me directly and the entire world,” she told BBC Sport.

“I’ve been rowing for 10 years. I have seen the changes in the water. I have ridden past floating nappies, seen used tampons floating and hanging in the trees on the sides of the bank, and I’ve seen dead fish.

“Seeing the degradation of our waterways has been really difficult.”

Grant, who is in her first foundation year as a doctor having completed a medical degree at the University of Cambridge, was instrumental in the launch of the Clean Water Sport Alliance earlier this year.

British Rowing is one of seven national governing bodies of water-based sports to come together with the aim of improving river health and water quality in the UK.

Grant has also become an ambassador for the Rivers Trust and was a spokesperson for British Rowing when it announced its environmental sustainability strategy.

“As an athlete, I know that I have a platform and I have a passion, but I haven’t always had the knowledge and the nuts and bolts,” she said.

“Working with the Rivers Trust, I feel like I have learned so much and I am so much better equipped to talk about the things I am passionate about.

“I know enough to know what I am talking about and make a real difference. Knowledge is absolutely power.”