Forssell forced out for six months
 |  Forrsell (right) in action for Birmingham earlier this year |
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HELSINKI, Finland -- Finland striker Mikael Forssell's knee injury is more serious than first thought and he will be out for around six months.
The 23-year-old, who is in his second season on loan from Chelsea to Birmingham, underwent an exploratory knee operation on Wednesday.
"It seems that they found something in his knee cap," national team spokesman Timo Walden said.
The news is a big blow to Birmingham as Forssell scored 17 Premier League goals for them last season and it hurts Finland's chances of qualifying for the World Cup in 2006.
Forssell scored in Finland's 2-0 win in a World Cup qualifier away to Armenia on September 8 but will now miss his country's next two qualifiers at home to Armenia and away to the Netherlands next month.
"Until yesterday we had hoped that he would play in our two matches in October . Now we hope he will be fit for the Czech Republic match in March," Walden added.
