Thorup shares injury update on Norwich ace ahead of game v West Brom
Norwich City boss Johannes Hoff Thorup delivered mixed injury news ahead of his side hosting West Brom in the Championship on Saturday.
West Brom make the trip to Norwich (29 March) for a pivotal clash as they look to entrench their position in the play-off spots as the end of the season closes in.
Tony Mowbray‘s side currently sit sixth in the Championship standings but are only ahead of Bristol City on goal difference with only games left to play.
Norwich’s own hopes are surely all but over as they sit 10 points back in 13th but they are set to welcome a key player back to the fold this weekend.
Mixed news for Norwich and Thorup ahead of Baggies clash
Thorup was addressing the media ahead of the weekend’s contest and was able to deliver some positive news for the Canaries faithful.
Goalkeeper Angus Gunn is back in contention for Norwich when they host West Brom in the Championship, having missed the three games prior to the international break through injury.
| West Brom’s next four fixtures | Home or away |
| Norwich City | Away |
| Sunderland | Home |
| Bristol City | Away |
| Watford | Home |
However, midfielder Lucien Mahovo is unavailable and will continue to be monitored, Thorup said, as he offered up mixed news for the home supporters.
In quotes provided by Norwich’s official website, Thorup said: “Gunn will be available on Saturday, Mahovo will not.
“We still need to see with him when he is ready for training, hopefully it is the start of next week or the end.”
West Brom need to find consistency
The return of Gunn means that Baggies will come up against one of the more experienced goalkeepers in the division and is certainly a boost for the home side.
However, the absence of Mahovo could have a considerable impact on the depth of their midfield, particularly against a West Brom side eager to exploit every potential weakness.
The absence of several players over the international break means Mowbray has had limited time to work with the full squad prior to this clash but what he will be looking for more than anything is consistency.
Albion are actually unbeaten in their past six Championship matches but four of those games have resulted in draws.
Indeed, no side in the second tier has registered more than the 18 draws the Baggies have played out this term and some of those stalemates could prove costly in the fight to secure a spot in the play-offs.
With Mowbray revealing this week that West Brom’s leading marksman Josh Maja is unlikely to be fit until any potential play-off clashes, the onus will be on the other attackers in the side to deliver.
The likes of Adam Armstrong, Mikey Johnston and Grady Diangana will have to provide the attacking impetus needed to make sure the draws turn into wins.
Having been in the hunt throughout the entire season it would be a huge disappointment to drop out at this late stage, but the next few weeks promise to be crucial in West Brom’s chances of making the season-ending play-offs.
Three point on a trip to East Anglia would certainly go a big way to helping their cause.