Michael Hughes has not played competitive football for a year

Unattached winger Michael Hughes has been called up to the Northern Ireland squad for the European Championship qualifiers against Armenia and Greece.

Hughes has not played club football for a year because of a contractual dispute between Wimbledon and Birmingham.

Wimbledon claimed that they had transferred the player to Birmingham but the Premiership club denied this which has left Hughes' career in limbo.

Northern Ireland boss Sammy McIlroy lost Philip Mulryne and Peter Kennedy from his squad on Monday.

Therefore, he had little hesitation in adding Hughes to his panel when the former Northern Ireland captain contacted him.

"Out of the blue he telephoned me offering his services," said McIlroy.

"He has trained on his own for months but is now with Harry Rednapp at Portsmouth".

McIlroy acknowledged that Hughes would not be fit enough to play a full match in Armenia but the winger might offer an option in the later stages of the contest.

Sammy McIlroy lost Mulryne and Kennedy

Norwich midfielder Mulryne failed to recover in time from a hip injury while Wigan defender Kennedy has a thigh strain.

McIlroy is now hoping strikers David Healy and Paul McVeigh come through unscathed from Norwich's match against Wimbledon at Carrow Road on Tuesday.

One man definitely on Thursday's flight to Yerevan, however, is Derby caretaker manager Mark Lillis.

Lillis initially felt he would be unable to take up his new international duties because of new club commitments following the suspension of John Gregory.

However, he can now go with Northern Ireland party because Derby's Nationwide Division One game against Millwall on Saturday has been postponed.

Lillis, who worked alongside McIlroy at Macclesfield, has been drafted in for these two matches only following the withdrawal of assistant boss Jimmy Harvey.

McIlroy said: "It is a big boost to have someone I know like Mark working alongside me and bouncing ideas off."

The game away to Armenia on Saturday will be shown live on BBC2 Northern Ireland, kick-off 1400 GMT.

McIlroy's side are then at home to Greece on Wednesday 2 April.