Barnsley FC increasingly likely to face nine games in 29-day run-in after Northern Ireland squad named
Barnsley's Patrick Kelly has been called into Northern Ireland's squad for their World Cup play-off against Italy and if they can pull off a shock, potentially Wales, increasing the chances that the Reds' League One game at Northampton Town will be called off.
Kelly made his return from a calf injury in a 69-minute run-out at home to Mansfield Town on Saturday, and it has been enough to earn the 21-year-old midfielder a place in Michael O’Neill’s squad.
Sheffield Wednesday's Pierce Charles, Hull City's Paddy McNair and Huddersfield Town's Dion Charles are also in the squad.
League One and Two sides are able to call off matches scheduled for international breaks if they have three or more first-teamers called up by their countries at full or under-21 level. As well as Kelly, Welsh under-21 internationals Jonathan Bland and Vimal Yoganathan are expected to get the call, as is England Under-21 goalkeeper Owen Goodman.
Barnsley would have the option to play regardless, but without such important members of their team, are unlikely to do so.
If the game does not go ahead as planned on March 28, it is likely to be moved to the final week of the season, squeezing Barnsley's final nine matches of the campaign into its last 29 days.
Conor Hourihane's side are 12th in the table, seven points behind Huddersfield with two games in hand on the Terriers, who sit in League One's final play-off place.
For Kelly it is an exciting time to break into the senior squad.
Northern Ireland play Euro 2020 champions Italy away on March 26 in a play-off semi-final to reach this summer's World Cup, which would be their first since 1986. The winners travel to Wales or Bosnia for the final five days' later.
Goalkeeper Charles has proven his fitness with three Owls appearances since his second shoulder injury of the season.
Former Middlesbrough defender McNair has also had valuable minutes since joining Hull in January after a spell in Major League Soccer.
Centre-forward Charles has retained his place even though all four of his goals this season came in November.
SQUAD: Bailey Peacock-Farrell (Blackpool, on loan from Birmingham City), Conor Hazard (Plymouth Argyle), Pierce Charles (Sheffield Wednesday), Josh Clarke (Partick Thistle, on loan from Celtic); Daniel Ballard, Trai Hume (both Sunderland), Ciaron Brown, Brodie Spencer (both Oxford United), Paddy McNair (Hull City), Eoin Toal (Bolton Wanderers), Ruairi McConville (Norwich City), Terry Devlin (Portsmouth); Jamie Donley and Jamie McDonnell (both Oxford United), George Saville (Luton Town), Alistair McCann (Preston North End), Shea Charles (Southampton), Isaac Price (West Bromwich Albion), Paul Smyth (Queens Park Rangers), Ethan Galbraith (Swansea City), Justin Devenny (Crystal Palace), Brad Lyons (Kilmarnock), Patrick Kelly (Barnsley), Kieran Morrison (Liverpool); Josh Magennis (Exeter City), Dion Charles (Huddersfield Town), Callum Marshall (Bochum, on loan from West Ham United), Jamie Reid (Stevenage).