Turkey coach Fatih Terim has been issued yet another blow ahead of his side's crunch clash with Norway on Saturday following the news that Yıldıray Baştürk will miss the encounter due to injury...
Yıldıray Baştürk (pictured) will miss Turkey's all-important meeting with Norway on Saturday due to a thigh strain.
The German-born Turkish international midfielder is also a major doubt for the home encounter with Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday.
As such, coach Fatih Terim has brought in Yusuf Simsek as cover.
This is a major blow for the international side as the Stuttgart midfielder is one of the more experienced members of the squad.
Indeed, with the likes of Hakan Sukur being dropped, Baştürk, who has been capped over 40 times, would have been considered one of the rocks of the team.
The ex-Wattenscheid youth signed for the German champions in summer on a Bosman deal after three years at Hertha Berlin. Previously he served Bayer Leverkusen and VfL Bochum.