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Norwich City's Phil Mulryne and Paul McVeigh have pulled out of Northern Ireland's squad for the Euro 2004 qualifier against Greece in Athens on Saturday because of injury, the English first division club said.
Midfielder Mulryne and striker McVeigh were both injured during Norwich's 2-1 home win over Reading at the weekend.
"Unfortunately, Phil has picked up a calf injury and Paul a hamstring injury, meaning they've had to withdraw from the Northern Ireland squad," assistant manager Doug Livermore told the Norwich City website.
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Both players came on as substitutes during their country's 1-0 home loss to
Armenia in their previous qualifier last month. Ticketmaster
First-choice defender Grant McCann is also out of the final qualifier after suffering an ankle injury playing for Cheltenham Town in the third division.
Shaun Holmes of Wrexham and Sunderland's Jeff Whitley have been called up as replacements, the BBC reported.
The Irish, who have not scored in 1,152 minutes and have taken three points from three draws in seven matches, have long been out of the running at the bottom of Group Six. Ticketmaster
But they could spoil leaders Greece's hopes of qualifying for next year's finals as group winners if they post their first win or even draw their last qualifier.
Spain, second in
the group one point behind the Greeks, play away to Armenia. The group runners-up
will go into the playoffs in November.