Norwich City will be without Emi Buendia for the trip to Tottenham on Wednesday evening due to a quadricep injury.
Speaking to the assembled media from Colney on Tuesday lunchtime at his usual pre-match presser, Daniel Farke explained his star player’s absence.
💬 The boss is about to address the media ahead of our midweek trip to Tottenham. Updates here ⬇️https://t.co/PsCsp2dZDt
— Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC) January 21, 2020
“Emi Buendia is out, he has some quad problems. Ben Godfrey suspended ,of course, Mario Vrancic has a knock as well against his shin.”
💬 DF: It's too early to say with Emi. He was on the training pitch today but he couldn't sprint. He will also probably be out for the FA Cup game but hopefully back for the next league game. pic.twitter.com/dFQKDPcsM0
— Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC) January 21, 2020
Godfrey was, of course, sent off during Saturday’s 1-0 home win over Bournemouth for a late tackle on Cherries’ striker, Callum Wilson, meaning that Grant Hanley will step back in alongside Christoph Zimmerman in the centre of defence.
It’s not ideal to have Ben missing for three matches, having only just got three fit centre backs into a match squad for the first time this season but it is what it is. Hanley has been pretty decent, I’d say, since returning to the team over the Christmas period and I’m sure he won’t let anybody down.
The loss of Buendia is massive though, as the little magician has been playing at the top of his form in recent weeks. His form has been so good, albeit apart from adding goals to his game, that he’s arguably playing as well as he was at anytime last season. Some of his highlight reels in recent games make me think he’s literally adding to any potential transfer value every time that he plays.
Fingers crossed though that he should be available after the FA Cup game with Burnley at the weekend.
One player who may be able to help fill the creative gap left by Emi’s absence is new boy, Ondrej Duda who had a very good debut against Bournemouth, showing an impressive level of connection with Teemu Pukki considering that he’d only been at the club for a week.
”Duda still needs to build towards 100% fitness. He covered unbelievable distance on Saturday. His workload was remarkable. It also helped that I could bring him off and rest. He’s capable to go further on but we will be careful with him.”
With Mario Vrancic also unavailable, I wonder if the club’s other new signing, Lukas Rupp could play a part at Spurs? Farke mentioned him and said that Rupp could start the game if necessary.
“Lukas Rupp is in a good physical shape. He didn’t play many minutes over the festive period. He could start, he still needs to adapt.”
Spurs meanwhile, are without Captain Harry Kane until the spring with a hamstring problem and their squad is exposed as being a little lightweight up top now. Having said that, they still have Son and Moura, both potent attacking threats in their own right, with Son most likely to fill Kane’s boots.
Tanguy Ndombele has recovered from a hip injury and having been influential at Carrow Road in December, could well make a return to the starting XI for Jose Mourinho. Moussa Sissoko (knee), Ben Davies (ankle) and Hugo Lloris (elbow) are all still out.
Prediction - Spurs v Norwich?
Norwich Win
Spurs Win
Draw
This is going to be a tough game, obviously. Having said that if the lads can produce the sort of performance they put on at Leicester, rather than that at Manchester United, we’ll be in with a shout.
It’s a game that I’m really looking forward to because I’m going with my mate and sometime Vital Norwich contributor, LeeBoz and a night game at the new Tottenham Stadium under the lights promises to be a memorable occasion.
If you’re going, enjoy the game, stay safe and make sure you get one of the pints at the ground that fills from the bottom up!
I know we will.
OTBC