Team News: Josh Magennis, Liam Boyce start up front for Northern Ireland

Liam Boyce and Josh Magennis will lead the Northern Ireland attack in their World Cup qualifying clash away to Azerbaijan.

The duo have been drafted in up top to replace the injured Jamie Ward and Conor Washington.

Ireland boss Michael O'Neill has made three changes from the side which beat Norway last time out, the third being the inclusion of West Bromwich Albion defender Gareth McAuley, who starts after recovering from injury.

Hosts Azerbaijan have handed a debut to Brazilian-born midfielder Richard Almeida, while influential defender Rashad Sadygov is back in the fold after missing the reverse fixture in Belfast through injury.

Kamran Aghayev of Portuguese outfit Boavista starts in goal, with his club teammate Emin Makhmudov named among the substitutes.

Azerbaijan: Aghayev, Medvedev, Huseynov, Sadiqov, Pashaev, Huseynov, Garayev, Almeida de Oliveira, Ismayilov, Sheydaev, Nazarov Subs: Mirzabekov, Oglu Abdullayev, Pascual Israfilov, Alasgarov, Gurbanov, Nazirov, Abisov, Makhmudov, Ramazanov, Amirguliyev, Quliyev, Agayev

Northern Ireland: McGovern, McLaughlin, Hughes, McAuley, Evans, Dallas, Brunt, Norwood, Davis, Boyce, Magennis Subs: Ferguson, Flanagan, McGinn, Lafferty, Mannus, Lafferty, Paton, Lund, McCartan, Hodson, Thompson, Carroll

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