Norway forward Josh King ruled out of Northern Ireland match
Saturday 7 October 2017 13:29, UK
Bournemouth striker Josh King has been ruled out of Norway's clash with Northern Ireland on Sunday after suffering a hamstring injury against San Marino.
King scored two first-half goals in the 8-0 win in Serravalle on Thursday before being substituted in the 62nd minute.
The Bournemouth forward will miss the match with Michael O'Neill's side in Oslo, who are hoping to guarantee a play-off spot. Former Hearts player Bjørn Maars Johnsen has been called up as a replacement.
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King told NFF TV: "I felt my hamstring during the game Thursday and in view of my history, we will not take any chances. Myself, Lars (Lagerback) and the medical team have discussed the situation and agreed that I will be going home to get back to fitness as soon as possible."
The injury means King is a doubt for Bournemouth's next Premier League match against Tottenham at Wembley next Saturday.
King was linked with a move to Spurs in the summer and Norway manager Lars Lagerback believes the 25-year-old should be playing for a top-six side.
He said: "I think he has a fair chance to play in a top-six club. He has really good qualities, he's physically strong, he's very quick, both with and without the ball, and his finishing technique is really good."
King has scored just one goal this season, however, as Bournemouth have suffered a difficult start to the campaign, sitting in 19th place with four points from their opening seven games.
You can see Norway's match with Northern Ireland live on Sky Sports Main Event from 7.15pm on Sunday.
