Team News: Tom Flanagan handed Northern Ireland debut in New Zealand friendly

Burton Albion defender Tom Flanagan has been handed his Northern Ireland debut for tonight's friendly with New Zealand at Windsor Park.

The 25-year-old defender will partner the more experienced Jonny Evans, who is handed the captain's armband for the clash in Belfast.

There is also a start for in-form Ross County striker Liam Boyce, with Conor Washington and Jamie Ward - both on the scoresheet against Norway last time out - absent from the squad.

Elsewhere, Matthew Lund and Josh Magennis are involved from the off some five weeks from their last outings, as boss Michael O'Neill looks to experiment a little ahead of next week's crucial qualifier against Azerbaijan.

In terms of the visitors, manager Anthony Hudson has gone with Marco Rojas in attack alongside leading man Chris Wood, who skippers the All Whites tonight on the back of a campaign that saw him top the Championship scoring charts.

There is no place for regular captain Winston Reid, however, as the West Ham United defender recently underwent an operation that will rule him out for the next couple of months.

Northern Ireland XI: McGovern; McLaughlin, Evans, Flanagan, Hughes, Brunt; Norwood, Lund, Dallas; Magennis, Boyce Subs: Ferguson, Thompson, McGinn, Davis, D. Lafferty, Mannus, Paton, McCartan, K. Lafferty, Carroll

New Zealand XI: Marinovic, Boxall, McGlinchey, Wood, Rojas, Thomas, Lewis, Doyle, Colvey, Smith, Durante Subs: Brotherton, Wynne, Tzimopolous, Tuiloma, Barbaraouses, Smeltz, Moss, Patterson, Ingham, Rufer, Roux, Williams

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