Northern Ireland are two games into the four-match international window under the new 2026 format, which combines September and October breaks into a single 16-day window with four fixtures instead of two. Manager Michael O'Neill acknowledged the squad's strong start with four points from two matches but highlighted the gruelling nature of the schedule, including a 5,000-mile round trip to Georgia where Shea Charles scored a 99th-minute winner. The team stayed in the BST time zone to avoid jet lag, then flew back overnight for their first home match in 315 days against Hungary.

O'Neill cited tiredness and logistics as major factors, noting players looked tired as games progressed. Injuries and suspensions compound the issue, with key absences including Conor Bradley, Ali McCann, and Daniel Ballard, who suffered a hamstring injury in Georgia and is ruled out for the rest of the window. Unlike larger nations with deeper squads, O'Neill must work with a limited pool, and seven players are one yellow card away from suspension after two matches.

While Ukraine faces similar travel demands, they have an extra recovery hour due to time difference. O'Neill called for consistent recovery periods between games and acknowledged the scheduling logic, but stressed the high demands on players in the condensed window.