Injured Pukki to miss Finland game

Teemu Pukki is out of Finland’s friendly in Poland on Wednesday with a toe infection he needed an injection to feature for Norwich City in Saturday’s 1-0 Championship defeat to Derby.

Pukki spurned a chance from the penalty spot when his standing leg slipped at the moment of impact in the second half but the striker managed to play the full 90 minutes before joining up with the Finns.

However, his international head coach, Markku Kanerva, confirmed to the Finnish FA official site on Monday Pukki will not be risked for this week’s friendly but is expected to be available for the upcoming Nations League qualifiers against Bulgaria (October 11) and the Republic of Ireland (October 14).

“He is on antibiotics and we expect him to be with the team on Thursday when we return from Poland,” said Kanerva. “There is some inflammation in his leg and he played on Saturday for Norwich in their Championship match with an injection.”

It is not clear whether Pukki has an issue with the same toe injured last December in the Premier League at Leicester City which curtailed a blistering start to the top flight campaign. The former City player-of-the-year only scored twice from the penalty spot in the second part of a season which ended in relegation, but got off the mark this term in the 2-2 home draw against Preston.

Norwich resume their Championship season at Rotherham United on October 17.