American heavyweight Charles Martin is ready to step in for Anthony Joshua if the Brit’s knee injury rules him out of the Kubrat Pulev fight.

Joshua was pictured at the weekend attending a Black Lives Matter march in his hometown of Watford wearing a knee brace.

Then he confirmed he had picked up an injury while out running that could see him off exercise for four weeks.

Despite AJ’s promoter Eddie Hearn insisting his man would fight Pulev before the year is out, Martin is already praying he gets his chance.

And it would mean the Missouri man gets the opportunity to win back the IBF belt he meekly lost to Joshua back in 2016.

Despite insisting he was the real ‘King’ of the heavyweight division, Martin was blasted out in two rounds at the O2 Arena.

But the 34-year-old American is the IBF No2 ranked boxer, with Pulev being mandatory.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Leon Margules, President of Warriors Boxing who promote Martin, said:

“If Joshua is injured and can’t defend on a mandatory basis, and the title becomes vacant, we’ll fight Pulev for the vacant title.

“Charles Martin is fit, ready and waiting for that opportunity. We’ve been waiting for the opportunity for a long time.”