Darko Churlinov health update emerges as Burnley winger is linked with Schalke return

Two weeks ago it emerged the 22-year-old had been hospitalised after contracting suspected blood poisoning.

No update from the club has been forthcoming, but Macedonia boss Blagoja Milevski explained why the winger had been left out of his squad for their upcoming Euro qualifiers against Ukraine and England.

"Churlinov is in hospital in Belgrade,” Milevski was 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."

Fresh reports in Germany in recent days suggest Churlinov has since been flown back to the UK to have an operation in a Manchester clinic.

It’s claimed the Macedonian contracted blood poisoning on a visit home after undergoing a dental operation.

According to the report, doctors found an accumulation of mucus in the lungs, which is said to have triggered sepsis.

It’s even thought the seriousness of the illness could result in Churlinov being unavailable for the remainder of the calendar year.

As a result, a rumoured return to Schalke – where Churlinov enjoyed a loan spell during the 2021/22 season – is now off the cards.

Churlinov’s agent Mehmet Eser has moved quickly to respond to speculation that Schalke’s offer for the winger was “insufficient”.

“That is absolute nonsense,” he was quoted as saying by German outlet Ruhr 24.

“Everyone who knows Darko knows that he belongs to Schalke and wants to play there. Money is not the decisive factor.

“We will then come to an agreement with Schalke. Darko just needs to get well.”

However, there are doubts Schalke can afford to wait for the winger, with it being claimed the recently relegated Bundesliga outfit want their squad finalised by the time they return for pre-season training.

Churlinov made 13 appearances for Burnley last season following his summer move from Stuttgart.

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