Brunt targets playoff route to Russia 2018

Chris Brunt says qualifying for the World Cup in Russia would help make up for missing out on Euro 2016 through injury.

Northern Ireland are out to secure qualification for their second consecutive major international tournament, and are in Azerbaijan for a vital fixture which could play a huge role in shaping Group C.

"We've given ourselves a good chance of getting that playoff position. It'll take some miracles to catch Germany at the top and stop them qualifying automatically," Brunt said.

"We have a realistic chance of finishing 2nd now, and of course it would be great to reach the World Cup - but it's going to be tough and I think the next two games will determine whether or not a playoff is possible."

In the reverse fixture, Northern Ireland conceded most of the possession, but dominated the set piece and won 4-0. Brunt is expecting the Azeris to have learned from their mistakes.

"Maybe they'll be set up a little bit differently to deal with that. We'll just prepare as we always do and see where we can hurt them."

"You can't make any excuses but obviously the heat is going to be a big factor. They had a lot of the ball in Belfast, we expect the same in Baku, so that defending and counter attacking is going to be a lot harder."

Injuries have forced manager Michael O'Neill to recruit players from further down the English footballing pyramid, but Brunt believes they've settled well in the squad.

"The young lads have added a lot, and they've mixed well with the senior players and got on well. The manager has created that feeling with how he sets up the trips and the training camps."

Northern Ireland kick off at 8pm local time 5pm GMT on Saturday, taking on Azerbaijan at the Tofiq Bahramov stadium in Baku.