WEST Ham United defender George McCartney has been forced to pull out of Northern Ireland's squad for Wednesday's friendly with Scotland in Glasgow.
The 27-year-old had been recovering from a long-standing hamstring injury when he went down with a bout of pneumonia earlier this month.
McCartney, who was an ever-present for the Irons last season, was ordered to stay away from the club's training ground last week and missed Saturday's Premier League win over Wigan Athletic at Upton Park.
The Belfast-born player has won 25 caps for his country, scoring one goal.
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