Norwich City: Liam Gibbs and Anis Ben Slimane updates

The 21-year-old midfielder’s season was cut short by a quad injury sustained in April, and City head coach Johannes

Hoff Thorup confirmed Gibbs’ absence from the matchday squad due to injury following the team’s 4-1 Championship victory over Watford.

“Towards the conclusion of the Friday session, he completed it. Very, very regrettable,” the Dane exclaimed. “It

appears to be a strain on the muscles. It’s important to examine him thoroughly and to have patience, as there may

be circumstances beyond a few weeks.

Onel Hernandez was taken off the pitch seven minutes into his late Saturday cameo appearance from the bench due

to a potential hamstring injury, according to Thorup.

“He had a sense that the game was about who would score the next goal, and we didn’t think it would be beneficial

for us to have a player on the pitch who was obviously struggling,” Thorup said. It was evident that he wouldn’t be

able to accelerate to its maximum capacity.

“However, after speaking with him, I believe we caught it early, so it’s not a major issue, but there was undoubtedly a

problem. And once more, I believe that we chose the low-risk option, similar to several of the other examples.

Anis Ben Slimane, who has missed the last two league games due to a muscular ailment, had a more encouraging

update from Thorup. The international player from Tunisia practiced on Saturday and is scheduled to travel to Derby

for the next Championship match.

“He had a successful training session at the field. Additionally, the manager of City stated that he is expected to be

with the team on Monday or Tuesday, possibly prepared to push for a starting spot for the Derby match. That is the

current plan. That might obviously change, but for now, that is the current strategy. We can be optimistic because,

from what I’ve heard from the physiotherapists, he had a good day.

Following the departures of Paul Clements and Narcis Pelach from Stoke, City is intensifying its hunt for a first team

coach and custodian coach ahead of Derby. However, Thorup praised the contributions of Joe Shulberg and Declan

Rudd, who stepped up for the Hornets’ visit.

We currently have excellent communication with the academy. We have a lot of support, he said. It comes from guys

who have been there for the squad from the beginning, who have helped during the preseason and this season.

There’s not a hurry. As I mentioned before, we understood that Narcis had this goal, therefore it also means that our

names are on the list; the task is for us to determine which one is the finest.

“The two guys that helped the backroom workers did a great job, so I’m more than happy with them. It also implies

that we are free to take our time in searching for the most suitable alternatives.