Bradley 'making progress' in injury recovery

Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill says Liverpool defender Conor Bradley is "making progress" but would not put a timeline on his return from injury.

Bradley injured his knee in Liverpool's goalless Premier League draw at Arsenal in January.

The 23-year-old missed the rest of the season for Liverpool and Northern Ireland's World Cup play-off defeat by Italy in March.

When asked for an update on his fitness, O'Neill said it was "confidential between the club and the player" but he was making progress on his return.

"Obviously, we have interaction with Conor quite regularly," said O'Neill, who agreed a four-year extension to his Northern Ireland contract on Wednesday.

"He sent me a text on my new contract, congratulating me. I spoke to him last week.

"He's doing well, you know, he's making progress, but like it's not for me to put any type of timeline on that progress at this minute in time.

"We just want him back, fit and healthy, of course we do, as do Liverpool, but it's important that how that injury is handled."

O'Neill was speaking to the media after announcing his squad to face Guinea and France in June friendlies.

Northern Ireland will be without some key players such as Bradley, Sunderland defender Dan Ballard, Portsmouth's Terry Devlin and Paddy McNair, who helped Hull City win promotion to the Premier League.

The games come at the end of a gruelling season but O'Neill was thrilled by the commitment of his players.

"The commitment is there. I understand that at the end of a long season.

"The players have personal goals within that situation.

"Steven Davis has 140 caps. So you only get that if you turn up. You can't add to your caps if you're not there.

"The players know that, and with this group, we hardly ever have a withdrawal on the basis of, 'I'm tired'. The players who are missing have a genuine injury."

O'Neill adds that the bond between Northern Ireland's players mean the squad is "in a good place".

"With this group, they enjoy being together, so they don't see it as any type of chore to go away on international duty.

"It's quite the opposite, to be honest.

"Having spoken to a lot of the players, I think they feel that they prefer coming away with their international team because they're all around the same age than maybe they do with their clubs.

"I think we're in a good place with that at this minute in time."

While O'Neill is missing a number of key players, it has opened the door for others.

Uncapped teenagers Braiden Graham and Ceadach O'Neill have been included for June's friendlies to bolster NI's attacking options.

Liverpool's Kieran Morrison, who was called up for March's play-off but did not feature in Bergamo or in the friendly with Wales, retains his place.

O'Neill admits he could have selected players who have more experience in senior football, but he is thinking about the long-term prospects of the squad.

"It's difficult to say they're ready to be senior international players. We have to be mindful of that.

"They've had limited minutes at first team level, but they're in our pathway and we have to protect that and we have to show them the route to playing for ourselves and being a senior international, and that they're highly regarded within our pathway as well.

"There are players that I could include instead of those younger players. If I'm honest, I don't feel that they're playing the club football at a high enough level that would affect the starting 11 at this minute in time.

"So for me, the emphasis has to be on using some of the squad in terms of development."

O'Neill said that players plying their trade at the highest level possible would "help make my job a little bit easier".

"We'll continue to monitor all our players, and hopefully certain players may get the opportunity to make that jump.

"We've already seen players now like Eoin Toal now in the Championship, Paddy McNair is now in the Premier League.

"Some of those lads that are playing around maybe League Two, League One, can they get the opportunity to play higher as well? Players who are playing in Scotland, can they get the opportunity to play in a better club maybe within Scotland?

"But I think with these young players, it's important that we integrate them into the international senior squad as early as possible, and that's what I'm trying to do."