The one setback that Northern Ireland could not have withstood has been averted. Striker Kyle Lafferty, scorer of seven of his nation's 10 goals in qualifying, is fit, in full training and will start against Poland on Sunday.
Lafferty felt pain in his groin during training on Tuesday and missed the session the following day after a scan on the problem. But on Thursday morning, he was back out with his teammates and showing no signs of further complaint. "He gave us a bit of a scare," said defender Gareth McAuley.
Lafferty is his nation's standout striker and this will certainly be a game for strikers.