Norwich City are set to host Coventry City at Carrow Road on Monday night, with both teams eager to maintain their winning momentum in the Championship. The Canaries are buoyed by an impressive 5-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion, marking their first consecutive league wins of the season. Meanwhile, Coventry, under the management of Frank Lampard, have also found their rhythm, securing back-to-back victories for the first time since November and looking to build on this newfound confidence.
However, the match is overshadowed by significant injury woes affecting both squads. For Norwich, American forward Josh Sargent appears to have played his final game for the club. He missed the Canaries' recent FA Cup win against Walsall and is actively seeking a transfer to Toronto FC, who recently had a £15 million bid for him turned down. Tom Bogert reports that discussions between Norwich's recruitment chief Ben Knapper and Manager Philippe Clement indicate Sargent's departure is imminent.
Additionally, Norwich’s young left-back Lucien Mahovo is unavailable due to a muscle injury sustained in training. The 20-year-old has already endured a challenging season, having missed the latter part of the previous campaign due to an ankle injury, and now faces further time on the sidelines.
Amankwah Forson is also grappling with ongoing hamstring issues that have plagued him for more than two months. The 23-year-old had shown promise under Clement, featuring prominently until he suffered a setback in December against Preston. He is expected to miss the upcoming fixture as well.
Midfielder Jeffrey Schlupp remains sidelined as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury that has kept him off the pitch for nearly three months. His experience would undoubtedly benefit the squad upon his return. Defender Shane Duffy has been largely absent during Clement's tenure, with his sole appearance coming during a heavy defeat to Birmingham City. He has not featured since withdrawing early from an Under-21 match last month.
Norwich’s new signing, Mirko Topic, suffered a season-ending ACL injury in Clement’s second game in charge, a loss that has been felt deeply within the squad. Similarly, Ante Crnac faces a lengthy absence with an ACL injury, having struggled to adapt to the Championship since his transfer from Rakow last August.
In contrast, Coventry City have received some good news as assistant manager Joe Edwards confirmed that Bobby Thomas and Kaine Kesler-Hayden have returned to training, leaving only goalkeeper Oliver Dovin as the confirmed absentee. Dovin has been out of action for ten months following a cruciate knee injury. Although Carl Rushworth has stepped up effectively in his absence, the Sky Blues are being cautious regarding Dovin’s recovery timeline.
As Norwich City and Coventry City prepare for this crucial Championship clash, the stakes are high, and the absence of key players could have a significant impact on the outcome of what is expected to be an exhilarating match under the lights in Norfolk.