İsmail Yüksek‘s Late Yellow Card Rules Him Out of Crucial spain Qualifier
Bursa, Turkey – A late yellow card in the 89th minute of Turkey’s 2-0 victory over Bulgaria in Bursa has resulted in a suspension for midfielder İsmail Yüksek, sidelining him for the critical away match against Spain on November 18th. The card, received just two minutes after a near-goal scoring opportunity, dashes hopes for Yüksek to participate in a match with notable implications for Turkey’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification hopes.
The suspension is a blow to the Turkish national team, as Yüksek has been a key player in their qualifying campaign. With Turkey now guaranteed a play-off spot after reaching 12 points in Group E, the spain match presents an opportunity to further solidify their position and potentially secure direct qualification. Yüksek joins teammates Arda Güler and Abdülkerim Bardakçı as players currently facing card-related concerns, as all three received yellow cards during the Bulgaria match.
Five Turkish players entered the Bulgaria match on the yellow card limit – Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Kenan Yıldız, İsmail Yüksek, kerem aktürkoğlu, and Oğuz Aydın – meaning another caution would result in an automatic suspension for the Spain game. While Çalhanoğlu, Yıldız, Aktürkoğlu, and Aydın avoided further bookings, Yüksek’s late infraction will keep him from participating in the November 18th contest.