There are several exciting matchups in the Championship this weekend, but the match between Norwich City and Burnley at Carrow Road on Sunday is one of the most anticipated.
The high-flying Clarets, who are presently in third place in the league table, will meet the Canaries, who are in tenth place. The visitors have just given up seven goals, the fewest in the Championship this season, and are riding high on an eight-game winning streak going into Norfolk.
Norwich’s Borja Sainz, who has already scored 15 goals, will be Burnley’s opponent and the league’s leading scorer. Leading an assault that has scored 35 goals, the Spaniard is only one goal behind Leeds United, the league’s top scorers. Norwich, on the other hand, has had a mediocre season so far, earning 25 points from 19 games.
With just one league loss since November 2023, Norwich has been mainly outstanding at home for the past year. They have four victories, four draws, and just one loss at Carrow Road so far this season. Since Burnley has been playing well away from home this season, their home form could be very important.
Both teams will be hoping to build on strong performances after their 0-0 draw in midweek, while Norwich was undoubtedly happier with their draw away to Portsmouth than Burnley’s blank against Derby County. Nevertheless, they have had an especially strong defensive record this season, giving up just seven goals. Their success has been built on this thrifty record, which enables them to produce outcomes even when they are not performing at their best.
Although they might need to perform at their highest level to silence Sainz, which players are unable to play in the match at Carrow Road? Here, we lay out all you need to know.
Gibbs, Liam
Just a few weeks ago, Canaries manager Johannes Hoff Thorup announced that midfielder Liam Gibbs would be absent for up to 10 weeks due to a recurrence of a prior hamstring injury sustained during his team’s decisive victory against Plymouth.
Forsyth, Gabriel
Since suffering a knee injury during Norwich’s trip to Cardiff City earlier this month, when Thorup stated that the 18-year-old would be sidelined for more than a month but did not need surgery, Gabriel Forsyth has not played for Norwich.
The Scottish youngster, who made his senior debut for the team as a late substitute on the first day of the Championship season and has since made four more appearances in the league, including two starts, had to deal with the injury setback.
Sargent, Josh
Hotshot Canaries Josh Sargent will not be able to play again until 2025 because he needs surgery for a groin issue. He last played in October.
Sargent’s present absence has surely hampered Thorup and company’s pursuit for the top six and caused them to drop to mid-table, even if they are clearly enjoying the services of Championship top scorer Borja Sainz.
Ramsey, Aaron
Parker recently stated that while he is making good progress, he is still far from playing competitive football again. It has been nearly a year since Aaron Ramsey last appeared.
Signing for £14 million Although Ramsey resumed training in September, he appears to have lost interest and hasn’t played much for the U-21s, in contrast to other injured returning players.
Benson, Manuel
Manuel Benson, another Burnley star with an uncertain return date, hasn’t played for the team since August and doesn’t seem to be close to recovering from a calf tear sustained against fierce rivals Blackburn Rovers.
Parker quickly reaffirmed that he is not yet close to returning to the pitch, after confirming prior to last Friday’s Middlesbrough tie that he was progressing well on his road to recovery.
Foster, Lyle
Burnley will once again be without their starting number nine against Norwich as he continues to heal from an injury that has sidelined him since early October. It was thought that Lyle Foster would make a comeback in November, but a setback has delayed his return.
Though Parker previously stated that the South African could be a “few weeks away” and that they could really use his return sooner rather than later, it’s still a setback. In the meanwhile, Jay Rodriguez and Zian Flemming have stepped in.
Beyer, Jordan
Jordan Beyer, another long-time absence, has been in Burnley’s treatment room for about a year due to a meniscus injury, and there is currently no indication of when he would likely return.
There won’t be any pressure to bring the German back in as soon as he’s fully recovered from an earlier injury, which led to his present problem and prompted him to miss out against Norwich.
