Turkiye: Montella qualifies for World Cup play-off final, but Calhanoglu suffers new injury | OneFootball

Vincenzo Montella’s Turkiye have qualified for the World Cup play-off final, beating Romania 1-0, but Inter star Hakan Calhanoglu was subbed off in the dying minutes due to a suspected calf injury.

There’s mixed news for Montella’s Turkiye who beat Romania in the World Cup play-off semifinal on Thursday, but lost Inter star Calhanoglu due to a possible calf injury.

As reported by Sky Sport Italia, Calhanoglu sustained his new injury setback while taking a shot from distance around minute 85 and was then subbed off five minutes later.

The problem seems to be with his left calf, the same calf Calhanoglu injured in January during Inter’s home game against Napoli, which sidelined him for over a month.

DORTMUND, GERMANY – JUNE 18: Vincenzo Montella, Head Coach of Turkiye, gestures during the UEFA EURO 2024 group stage match between Turkiye and Georgia at Football Stadium Dortmund on June 18, 2024 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

The extent of the injury remains to be seen, and Calhanoglu is in doubt for Turkiye’s World Cup play-off Final against either Kosovo or Slovakia next Tuesday.

MILAN, ITALY – DECEMBER 06: Hakan Calhanoglu of FC Internazionale Milano celebrates scoring his team’s third goal during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and Como 1907 at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on December 06, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

The 32-year-old has had several fitness issues since the start of 2026, making just five Serie A appearances since January and missing six league games due to injuries.