Preston North End pair receive international call-ups for June fixtures
The PNE duo will get football under their belts next month
Two Preston North End players have been called up for international friendlies in June.
Ali McCann will link back up with Northern Ireland while Milutin Osmajic is set to go away with Montenegro.
Michael O’Neill’s side host Guinea and then head to France, while Montenegro travel to Bulgaria and Slovakia. PNE’s number eight missed both international fixtures in March - including the World Cup qualifier defeat to Italy - and didn’t feature for Preston in their final nine games.
Manager Paul Heckingbottom opted against using him on the final day, with this international slot in mind. McCann will be desperate for a full season of fitness at Preston, having made 26, 29, 31 and 31 league appearances in the last four campaigns.
Northern Ireland call-ups for Shea Charles, Jamie McDonnell, Ethan Galbraith, Patrick Kelly and Kieran Morrison meant there was no place for PNE’s Jordan Thompson.
Osmajic, meanwhile, scored three goals in Montenegro’s two friendlies over March, with a brace against Slovenia and strike versus Andorra. There was no spot for Andrija Vukcevic in Mirko Vučinić’s squad, with four new players called up and five brought back in.
Dates and kick-off times
Monday, 1 June: Bulgaria vs Montenegro (17:00)
Thursday, 4 June: Northern Ireland vs Guinea (17:00)
Friday, 5 June: Slovakia vs Montenegro (17:30)
Monday, 8 June: France vs Northern Ireland (20:10)