Norwich City’s latest injury crisis is starting to ease, with Marcelino Nunez and George Long both fit to play in tomorrow’s meeting with Bristol City.
Nunez had missed games against Oxford United and Sheffield Wednesday after the latest flare-up of his persistent hamstring issues. He could feature when the Canaries travel to Ashton Gate for a late kick-off, however, having returned to team training this week.
George Long is also expected to start in goal as Angus Gunn recovers from another hamstring injury, taking over from young prospect Vicente Reyes after he played in that Carrow Road double-header.
The 31-year-old had been absent from successive matchday squads with a concussion, but will be between the sticks for the trip south-west.
“He’s available,” said Norwich head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup of Long. “He’s going to make a difference of course, because having such young goalkeepers in your match squad is not something you with for, with that little experience.
“But that being said, I think Vinny (Reyes) has done well, and also Dan Barden. They have done everything they possibly can, so I think that for their career it’s been very good for them. But when you plan your team to begin with, you probably don’t expect it.
“I still see that George is probably a little bit in front of Vinny, and that’s the reason why we’re going to select George for the game. That competition is there, and hopefully it will continue to be for the rest of the season.”
Thorup believes that Nunez’s return will also be a significant boost, not only because of his talent but because of the squad depth realised as a result.
“It’s important in many ways,” continued the Dane, asked about Nunez. “It’s important because of his qualities, important because of the opportunities and options he gives us, both from the start of the game and later in it.
“It’s quality starting, but it’s also quality coming on, so in many ways it’s a big difference.”
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