Burnley's Darko Churlinov hospitalised in Belgrade according to Macedonia manager

The 22-year-old has been left out of the Macedonia squad for their upcoming Euro qualifiers against Ukraine and England.

According to Macedonia boss Blagoja Milevski, an unknown illness is the reason behind his absence.

"Churlinov is in hospital in Belgrade,” Milevski has been quoted as saying.

“For now, there is no clear answer about his situation even from the doctors.

“There was internal poisoning, it is not known what the cause is. It is known that this resulted in blood poisoning, ie sepsis."

Churlinov has made 13 appearances for Burnley this season following his summer move from German side Stuttgart.

His game time has been limited by injuries as well as the form of those wingers ahead of him, with six of his 13 outings coming in cup competitions.

According to recent reports, Churlinov could be lined up for a return to his former club Schalke, where he previously enjoyed a loan spell during the 2021/22 season, scoring twice in 23 games.

According to Sky Germany, Schalke have identified Churlinov as one of the contenders to sign this summer to bolster their attacking options.

It has been reported that 'talks are in full swing' over a potential move to the Royal Blues, who were recently relegated from the Bundesliga.

Churlinov has been capped 20 times by his country, scoring four times, finding the back of the net in their last game against Malta in March.

Macedonia face England at Wembley later this month after first facing Ukraine at home.