Iron midfielder Grant McCann will be looking to give his country the best possible chance of World Cup qualification on Wednesday night when Northern Ireland play Slovakia at Windsor Park.

Their opponents lead Group Three while McCann's team sit second and just two points behind.

Although Slovakia have an extra game in hand, a win would lift Northern Ireland to top spot with just one match left to play afterwards in the Czech Republic in October..

Former Barnsley man McCann already has plenty to celebrate, after hearing the surprise news that his wife Kelly had given birth to baby son Jesse earlier than expected, weighing in at 8lb 9oz, hours before Saturday's qualifier in Poland.

"I'd spoken to Kelly at about nine o'clock and everything was fine," the 29-year-old told the Belfast Telegraph. 

"Then she rang at ten to 12 Polish time to tell me she'd just had the baby. I never slept a wink after that.

"I'd a funny feeling that as soon as I went to Poland something would happen, but even if we'd been at home or if I'd been away somewhere with Scunthorpe I still wouldn't have made it."

McCann nipped back to England for a whirlwind 24-hour trip earlier this week to welcome his second child, and is now back preparing for the Slovakia game, which can be seen live on Sky Sports 3 from 7.30pm this Wednesday.

Elsewhere, defender Rob Jones has told the Scunthorpe Telegraph that a rest could prove as good as a change.

United take on Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday for their first game since the start of a two-week international break, and the former Hibernian defender says United are chomping at the bit to get going again.