Norwich City

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Norwich City head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup is beginning to see the club's lengthy injury list clearing up.

The Canaries have lost their past three Championship matches and visit fifth-placed West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

"It's looking better, slowly we are getting there," Thorup told a pre-match press conference.

"Ashley Barnes, Liam Gibbs, Onel Hernandez and Christian Fassnacht are all back which creates a different scenario leading into the games because we have options and more players available."

The Norwich boss has also been boosted by the return of goalkeeper Angus Gunn who has missed the past six games after sustaining a rib injury in the 4-0 win over Hull City in October.

"He's an important player for us and before the injury he was performing at a high level so it was not good for anyone to have the injury so it's good to have him back," added Thorup.

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West Brom ended a run of eight games without victory (D6 L2) when they won 2-1 at Hull City last time out, while Norwich are winless in six (D3 L3).

The Baggies have struggled for goals at The Hawthorns, scoring just twice in their seven home games but still remain fifth in the table in a play-off spot.

The Canaries have slipped to 14th and are now just three points above the drop zone ahead of this weekend's Championship action.

• West Brom have lost just one of their last six league games against Norwich City (W3 D2), though that sole defeat did come in their last meeting with the Canaries in January (0-2).

• Norwich have lost their last two away league games against West Brom and will be looking to avoid losing visits in succession for the first time since 1998.

• West Brom's seven home league games this season have seen just three goals scored (2 for, 1 against). That is the fewest goals ever scored in a team's first seven home league games of a season in Football League history.

• Norwich have lost their last three Championship matches, as many as in their previous 18 league games combined. The Canaries last suffered four defeats in a row in November 2023.

• West Brom's last three league games at the Hawthorns have been drawn 0-0. In Football League history, only three teams have drawn four in a row at home goalless: Wrexham in September 1978, Bristol City in January 2000 and Wolves in April 2016.

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Norwich winger Onel Hernandez made his comeback from injury as Cuba saw off St Kitts & Nevis in a Concacaf Nations League 'play-in' elimination round.

The 31-year-old has missed the Canaries' past nine games with a hamstring injury but played 90 minutes in Cuba's 2-1 loss in the first leg last Thursday.

He then scored his fourth international goal in a 67-minute appearance as Cuba won the return leg 4-0 in the early hours of Tuesday.

With Norwich boss Johannes Hoff Thorup dealing with an injury crisis, including striker Josh Sargent missing until after Christmas, Hernandez could be utilised in attack when the Canaries return to Championship action at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

Hernandez scored twice in a striker's role in a Carabao Cup win over Stevenage in August.

In total, Hernandez has played just 52 minutes in the Championship across five cameos off the bench this season, most recently against Watford on 21 September, with City winning only two of the nine games since then to tumble down the table to 14th, within three points of the relegation zone.

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Former Norwich defender Timm Klose has announced his retirement from playing at the age of 36.

The Swiss international joined the Canaries from German club Wolfsburg in January 2016.

He made nearly 120 league appearances across four seasons in the Premier League and Championship before joining Basel on loan and, later, moving to Bristol City.

Klose wrote on Instagram, external: "After many years, a great journey is coming to an end. It hasn't always been all rainbows and sunshine, but even the hard and rocky times have shaped me into who I am today.

"Thanks to all the clubs who had the courage to sign me - I have always given everything for them and tried to leave my heart on and off the pitch."

Klose has been playing and coaching with the youth set-up at Basel but added: "Now it's time for a change - I'm really looking forward to be working on all the projects I have already started. What an exciting journey."

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Former Norwich City striker Simeon Jackson has returned to the Championship club as a member of the academy staff.

The 37-year-old Canada international's role will primarily focus on the under-16 team, but he will also support other age groups.

Jackson scored 21 goals in 85 appearances for the Canaries before moving to German club Braunschweig in 2013.

He later had spells at clubs including Millwall, Coventry City, Blackburn Rovers, St Mirren and Kilmarnock before a loan stay back in Norfolk with King's Lynn in 2021.

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Johannes Hoff Thorup would love 100 extra training sessions to help his bid to get Norwich out of the Championship, which he says is less tactical than his old job in Denmark.

The 35-year-old replaced David Wagner at Carrow Road after working his way through the coaching ranks at Nordsjaelland.

The injury-hit Canaries were winless in six league games going into the international break and Thorup told BBC's Football Focus he would like to have more time to work with his players on implementing his style so if they were promoted they would stand a better chance of staying in the Premier League.

"I 100% appreciate and respect if it’s a little difficult for people to see (at present), hopefully it will be a lot clearer in six, eight or 10 months' time," he said.

"We try to create a foundation where the players are young, so we can build them up in the way we want to play, so when we go up, hopefully in a couple of years, we can compete in another way than only buying players.

"If you go that direction you will always lose the fight. There will always be clubs with better finances than us. We have to create something a bit different."

Thorup added he thought the Championship was "crazy".

"If you gave me 100 training sessions without any games in between I would take them on the spot, because that’s what we need," he said.

"We have to build something while we also have to perform on a weekly basis, which is difficult. We have to find the right balance. It will take time."

Thorup spoke to fellow Dane Thomas Frank, manager of Brentford, before moving to the UK.

"We tried to get all the information possible but also the culture," he said.

"It’s not that different from Denmark, there are many similarities but of course there are differences, the league is completely different."

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Norwich City right-back Kellen Fisher has been called up to the England Under-21 squad for the first time.

The 20-year-old signed a four year contract with the Canaries in September and has become a regular member of the starting XI this season, with only one of his 11 Championship appearances coming from off the bench.

Fisher, who has been capped six times at U20 level, is joined by Bristol City’s George Earthy and Newcastle United’s Lewis Miley for their maiden call-ups after a series of withdrawals due to either injury or transitions into the senior squad.

Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens and Brighton & Hove Albion’s Jack Hinshelwood have withdrawn from Ben Futcher's squad due to injury.

Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite, Newcastle's Tino Livramento, Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers and Burnley's James Trafford were also originally named in the U21 set-up but have since been promoted to the senior England group.

On the back of three successive defeats, Norwich City head into the international break with a lengthy injury list and plenty of thinking to do.

In the latest edition of BBC Radio Norfolk's podcast The Scrimmage, Jack MacLean and Chris Reeve discuss the poor form and who might be the first to emerge from the Canaries' physio room.

Jack and Chris are joined by Norwich fan George Massey, who combines his love for the club with analysing the data around the team's results.

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The international break has come at the "best time" for Norwich says head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup after his side fell to their third Championship defeat in a row at home to Bristol City.

The 2-0 loss to the Robins ended the Canaries' 21-match unbeaten streak at Carrow Road, stretching back to 5 November, 2023.

Norwich's next league game is not until 23 November, away to West Brom.

"I think this is probably the best timing of the three [international breaks]," Thorup told BBC Radio Norfolk.

“It’s been a tough week and on the back of this it’s useful for everyone to have a couple of days off."

Norwich were also beaten by Cardiff City and Sheffield Wednesday in the last eight days and Thorup said his players have been "at the limit" as injuries have stretched the side.

"Hopefully on the back side of the international break we can come back with a little bit more energy and also start to have more training sessions," he added.

“For a team like us, where we are still trying to improve and build a new way of playing, we need some more time on the grass out there."

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Norwich City have been boosted by the news Gabriel Forsyth will not require surgery on a knee injury but will still be sidelined for more than a month.

The midfielder limped off during last Saturday's defeat at Cardiff and is facing an extended period out of action.

"Surgery would have meant he was out for five or six months but he'll still miss five or six weeks because he extended something in his knee and it takes time for that to settle down," Norwich head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup told a press conference before their Championship match with Bristol City on Saturday.

The Norfolk club are in the middle of an injury crisis which the Dane has called the worst in his career and they will be missing United States international forward Josh Sargent for the next two months after he had surgery on a groin problem.

"Brad Hills is back in training but Saturday's game is too early for him - he's not match fit but he can give us other options after the international break," said Thorup.

Midfielder Onel Hernandez has been called up to the Cuba squad for Concacaf Nations League games against St Kitts and Nevis, but Thorup thinks it is unlikely he will travel.

"Onel Henrnadez was on the grass today (Thursday) but coming back from an eight week injury, we still need to build him up and he'll need at least a week with the team before we can start thinking about giving him minutes," added Thorup.

"If we don't select him for the match on Saturday, which I don't think we will, it would be unlikely for him to go away but that's something we would decide in the next couple of days."

In total, Norwich are missing 11 first-team players at the moment including goalkeeper Angus Gunn and midfielder Marcelino Nunez.

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Norwich City boss Johannes Hoff Thorup has said he is currently experiencing the worst injury crisis of his managerial career as he prepares for Tuesday's Championship game at Sheffield Wednesday.

The Danish coach is aiming to pick his depleted squad up following a late 2-1 defeat at Cardiff on Saturday in which the Canaries conceded goals in the 89th and 93rd minutes.

"We brought [Christian] Fassnacht and Tony Springett on the bench the other day but they were not available," Thorup told BBC Radio Norfolk.

"We had 15, 16 outfield players available for minutes, where one of them was a youth team player who just came from a Friday night game against Manchester City.

"It's a crazy situation that we're in but we'll deal with it and we'll support each other, but of course we'll look at it and see if we can make any changes - are we doing something wrong here?"

In total, Thorup is without 11 first-team players at the moment including goalkeeper Angus Gunn, Marcelino Nunez and Scottish midfielder Gabriel Forsyth, who hobbled off with a knee injury on Saturday.

The Norwich boss will also be without striker Josh Sargent for the next eight weeks.

"It is not what we hoped for but it is unfortunately how it is," Thorup added.

"Some of these injuries are game related but we have to look at this as something we can do better - that is the nature of the business we are in."

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Sheffield Wednesday are looking to recover from their heavy 6-2 defeat at home to Watford on Saturday and have won just one of their last six games at Hillsborough (D2 L3).

Norwich City are without a win in four (D3 L1) but are still only three points behind sixth-placed West Brom. The Canaries are also the joint-highest scorers in the Championship alongside Sunderland with 23 goals.

• Sheffield Wednesday are winless in their last six league games against Norwich City (D2 L4) since hammering them 5-1 in May 2018.

• Since their last goalless league draw at Hillsborough in October 2014, Sheffield Wednesday and Norwich have shared 23 goals in the five league games there since (4.6 per game).

• Sheffield Wednesday haven't lost a home league game in midweek since April 2021 against Swansea (W11 D7 since), with five of their last six such games ending in a draw.

• Norwich have won just one of their last seven midweek league games (D3 L3), with each of their last three ending in a draw.

• Norwich's Borja Sainz has been involved in three goals in his two previous Championship appearances against Sheffield Wednesday (2 goals, 1 assist), all of which came last season.