JOEL Cooper will be staying at Oxford United next week after the winger was left out of the Northern Ireland squad.

The U's were frustrated the 24-year-old was called up for the last international break, only to be left out of the matchday squad for two of the three matches.

In the other fixture Cooper, who is uncapped at senior level, was an unused substitute.

And he was not among the 26-man squad selected by Northern Ireland boss Ian Baraclough for the Euro 2020 play-off final against Slovakia next Thursday.

They also have Nations League matches in Austria November 15 and at home to Romania three days later.

Had he been selected, Cooper would have missed three U's matches.

Instead, the cup games in the next week against Peterborough United and Walsall are likely to offer him a chance to find a rhythm, which has been hampered since joining the U's in the summer by his call-ups.