JACK Flatley has been forced to pull out his big fight at the Manchester Arena on Saturday.

The Farnworth boxer was due to face Anthony Fowler for the Liverpudlian’s WBA International super-welterweight title live on Sky Sports.

It represented a huge opportunity for the 25-year-old former English champion but a broken bone in his foot has forced him to pull out.

Little Lever Meat Cleaver Jack Cullen will still feature on a card headlined by Bury star Scott Quigg's clash with Jono Carroll. 

Flatley admitted he was "devastated" but was looking towards a June ring return.

“I am absolutely devastated to be writing this but I will no longer be fighting on Saturday night,” the Elite Boxing fighter said in a social media statement.

“For the first time in my career so far an injury has pulled me out of a fight.

“I fractured a metatarsal in my foot last Monday and didn’t realise. I just thought I was in a lot of pain and got on with it.

“It stopped me sparring and even moving in my stance for the last hard week of camp.

“I’ve been to see a number of highly-qualified specialists over many hours to try and recover over the last week thinking it was just a lot of pain.

“Believe me, I don’t want to pull out but I can’t put myself in to a fight on live TV and just be cannon fodder against a world-class opponent because I can’t move my feet.

“I also can’t put my team through watching when they know what’s going on.

“This was never a pay day for me I was coming to win.

“I worked hard even over Christmas for an opportunity like this and all of my career and am really sorry for those who have tickets and were going to support me but don’t worry refunds are available if you don’t want to go to the show.

“I’m absolutely devastated, I’ll be back around June and hopefully get another chance. Thanks to my team and sponsors, they have been amazing.

“Good luck to Anthony Fowler, a guy I genuinely respect and apologise for the pullout. I hope they can find a replacement for Saturday and we can get it on sometime in the future.”