Joshua determined to take out late replacement Helenius

British heavyweight Anthony Joshua says he is "laser-focused" on beating Robert Helenius at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday after the Finnish boxer was confirmed as a late replacement for Dillian Whyte.

Joshua, the two-time former unified heavyweight champion, had been set to take on his domestic rival but the bout was cancelled after “adverse analytical findings” were detected in a doping test conducted by Whyte.

That left Joshua's promoters Matchroom Sports in a race against time to salvage the sold-out event, and the 39-year-old Helenius has answered their SOS despite having fought in Finland only last weekend.

“This wasn’t in the script," said the 33-year-old Joshua. “I respect Helenius and, may I say, I respect any male or female who steps into the ring.

“I am laser-focused on the win. I can make steps forward to bigger and better things but the road map has a check point – Saturday night. May the best man win.”

Helenius, who has a 32-4 record (21 KOs), returned to the ring last Saturday with a routine third-round knockout of the unknown novice Mika Mielonen in Savonlinna. His previous outing had been a devastating first-round knockout loss to big-punching American Deontay Wilder last October.

“I am a true Viking that is willing to face any challenge at a moment’s notice," said Helenius, a former European champion, known as "the Nordic Nightmare". "This is not an opportunity I was going to let slip away. I plan to make the most of it."