Hearts defender Hughes out of final qualifiers

Aaron Hughes has been ruled out of Northern Ireland’s final two World Cup qualifiers this week, and would be a doubt were they to make the playoffs next month.

The 108-cap defender has withdrawn from the squad for games with Germany tomorrow and Norway on Sunday due to a calf complaint that forced him off seven minutes into Hearts’ loss to Dundee at the weekend. Dunfermline’s Callum Morris replaces him.

Hughes is one appearance short of becoming the home nations’ most capped defender ever, a record he currently holds with Bobby Moore, but boss Michael O’neill concedes he may also miss the play-offs were Northern Ireland to reach them.

Northern Ireland have guaranteed second place in Group C but only eight of the nine group runners-up will be in November’s play-offs.

At 37, that could conceivably mean Hughes has played his final game for his country if O’neill’s side do not make it to Russia and he decides to call it a day. Asked if Hughes would be back in time for the playoffs, O’neill replied: “It’s difficult to tell. He certainly would come into the doubtful category I would say.”