![\"\"](\"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/2.56000942.jpg\")
Newcastle left-back Jamal Lewis has not travelled to Oslo for Northern Ireland\u2019s Nations League clash with Norway on Wednesday night.<\/p>\nNewcastle left-back Jamal Lewis has not travelled to Oslo for Northern Ireland\u2019s Nations League clash with Norway on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n
The 22-year-old is the only definite absentee for the match, though Ian Baraclough is expected to make several changes for what is a third competitive international in the space of seven days.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe only one who isn\u2019t travelling is Jamal Lewis,\u201d Baraclough said. \u201cHe\u2019s gone to have a scan on his ongoing Achilles niggle, but it\u2019s nothing to worry about. It\u2019s improving.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe mightn\u2019t be able to play the two games so quickly, so it\u2019s something I felt Newcastle had in mind for the player anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lewis was among the players to clock up 210 minutes between the Euro 2020 qualifying play-off semi-final victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Thursday night and Sunday\u2019s 1-0 home defeat to Austria.<\/p>\n
That also went for the defensive core of Jonny Evans and Craig Cathcart, leaving Baraclough with difficult decisions to make as he prepares to face a Norway side that scored five at Windsor Park last month.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a balancing act and no one has had to deal with this as a manager or a group of players \u2013 a third international game within the seven days,\u201d the manager said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re going to be sensible. We will make it competitive, but one or two players will get starts that haven\u2019t started the two previous games as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s important I look at these players and it\u2019s important they get game time as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not fortunate enough to have a squad of players that you go and play three totally different teams and make massive changes like an England or Germany or Spain.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere has to be a certain amount of continuity because we don\u2019t have that amount of depth in our country.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll be prepared and the players know it\u2019s the last game now before (the Euro 2020 qualifying play-off final against) Slovakia so it\u2019s a chance to impress in that respect.\u201d<\/p>\n
Northern Ireland have been guilty of making slow starts in recent outings, and were lucky that Austria were not out of sight by half-time on Sunday night.<\/p>\n
Baraclough has spoken about the need to address that, but added that he is not expecting either side to have the energy for an explosive display in Oslo.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s going to be the third game of this window, so I can\u2019t see it being a high-tempo game,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt might be a different game, but certainly we\u2019ve got to be at it from the start and we can\u2019t be chasing the game come half-time.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s something we\u2019ve got across to the players and they\u2019re frustrated by it as well because we tend to start games quickly and impose ourselves on the opposition.\u201d<\/p>\n