Northern Ireland boss Nigel Worthington has told Sunderland striker David Healy he needs to start playing regular first team football.
Healy, 30, had to settle for a second half run-out after coming off the bench in the 1-0 defeat by Serbia at Windsor Park.
Worthington said: "I have to make decisions and the players have to get on with their jobs. Credit to David, he did that and I think everyone was willing him to score."
Worthington is convinced that Healy - with a ratio of 35 goals in 79 games - is struggling to make an impact because he is on the fringes at Sunderland.
He said: "David was fine with my decision. I just told him I was going to start with two other strikers.
"For David, like others, you have got to work hard to get in the first team or work hard to try and get first-team football elsewhere. It is a simple thing and I have been harping on about it for 18 months."