This injury crisis sucks, I think we can all agree. However, it seems that there is some light at the end of the tunnel with a positive, fairly comprehensive injury update from Daniel Farke.
Speaking at his usual pre-match video press conference on Monday lunchtime, the City Head Coach had some good news for us, and as ever, Vital Norwich Forum stalwart, FC Bears was watching. Here’s his take on what Daniel had to say…
Max Aarons is fit, as are all the others involved on Saturday.
Emi Buendia is back after suspension.
Tim Krul will be back sooner than three weeks, maybe he’ll be back in training shortly after Luton.
DF thinks Kenny McLean and Kieron Dowell should be back around Christmas. Dowell should return to training (ahead of schedule) in the next week or so and then it will be a case of building his fitness up again.
Teemu Pukki will miss out on this game but he will definitely be available on Saturday to face Sheffield Wednesday.
DF says he isn’t going to fill the subs bench because that would be gifting youngsters a chance….that’s an odd thing to say.
With Emi back, DF says there will be a spot on the bench for a first team player which is good.
On the medical team:
DF:
’I totally trust our doctors and physios to make the right decisions, football is a contact sport so there will be injuries. As soon as someone sounds like they have a major injury to the head, I trust them to take the right decisions and not take unnecessary risks.’
Lukas Rupp – no news, which I think means he is not going to start and DF didn’t mention him when he said ‘Emi is baack so we will have an extra person to play with.’
On Jordan Hugill:
‘He is to be available pretty soon, but we need to wait for an assessment in a few days.’
On Xavi Quintilla:
‘Xavi is with the doctors at his mother club (Villarreal) for assessment because they’ve spent years with him to know what is wrong with him.’
No-one seems to know what is the issue with Xavi – very strange.
DF was pleased with Marco Stiepermann up front. Even though DF says (in not so many words) that he didn’t do much.
‘I was very pleased [with Marco Stiepermann]. He played as a striker in Germany many many years ago, he was different to Teemu [Pukki] in that he couldn’t run and couldn’t penetrate behind the lines much. I know if I need him, he can play in that position again.’
So he couldn’t run and couldn’t cause their defence any problems……that is just the type of player we need upfront 🙂
I think if the injury for Xavi isn’t sorted asap then the loan might be cancelled in January.
Both Bali Mumba and Adam Idah are out for at least ten weeks before they can return back.
Todd Cantwell is a similar timeline to Krul, DF expects him back in two weeks.
I think Tyrese Omotoye might get on tomorrow (maybe as a typical DF late sub). DF talking him up and saying he would have got on if he wasn’t just back from a long injury and needed time with the first team, first.
DF says that he has to be very careful with his 18 year old lads as it could be too much pressure so Reece McAlear getting a few minutes was good for him and he has been great in training.
DF says we will be looking to grind out results (like we tried on Saturday).
So expect us to be sitting back from the 60th minute and Zimmermann to be thrown on!
DF says that the young lads need to show that they are confident and ready to work hard and then they will get 5/10 minutes on the pitch.
DF:
‘The injuries won’t help us tomorrow or at least the next five to ten days, but there are encouraging signs. We need to grind out results for the next few weeks until our key players are back to attack the league again.’
I am sure if we had Mumba or Sam Byram fit, Aarons would have been rested tomorrow but needs must and Farke has very few options on either full-back side.
So I think tomorrow DF will go:
McGovern
Aarons
Hanley
Gibson
Sorensen
Tettey
Skipp
Martin
Vrancic
Emi
Stipermann
Subs
Barden – Placheta – Zimmermann – Omotoye – McAlear – Dickson-Petters – Omobamidele
OTBC