According to Sky Sports, Norwich City defender Timm Klose has been ruled out for several months after picking up yet another injury. The former Wolfsburg star suffered a knee injury in the defeat to Crawley Town in the Carabao Cup last month.
This could be a massive blow for Daniel Farke, especially with Christoph Zimmermann and Grant Hanley also struggling with injuries. This leaves him with Ben Godfrey as the only reliable central defensive option. That means the onus will likely be on Ibrahim Amadou to fill in as deputy for Klose, if not Godfrey and Hanley.
A rough start to the Premier League
Amadou was brought in Sevilla on a season-long loan deal, earlier this summer. He was initially thought to be the desired replacement for the ageing Alexander Tetty. But, the midfielder has had a difficult start to his life in England so far.
Indeed, the Frenchman has made only one league appearance so far, which came in the defeat against West Ham United in the last game. Besides, Norwich City have actually lost both of the games Amadou has played in all competitions. The caveat though is that the Canaries have only won one game this season.
Either way, Amadou hasn’t quite been able to make an impression in the Premier League during this early stage of the campaign.
Can Amadou really solve Norwich’s injury crisis?
Amadou’s versatility could be the need of the hour for Norwich City in this crisis. Although the ongoing international break will give their players some time to recover from their injuries, it’s the Frenchman, who, in the meantime, can he slotted in as a centre-back.
He has played in that position several times during his time in Sevilla and LOSC Lille. He was actually the man who replaced Zimmermann after he got injured in the first half. However, the 26-year-old didn’t perform very well, often getting exposed, especially during the final phase of the game.
Should Amadou continue to struggle at centre-back, he can be utilised as an alternative for Tom Trybull, who is also injured. But even then, Norwich City do have Moritz Leitner as well as Mario Vrancic, both of whom can compete for that position.
Verdict
Amadou’s awful start to the campaign is a worrying sign for Farke. But, the ex-Dortmund youth coach has no choice but to use the Frenchman in a central defensive slot until at least one of his premier defenders returns from injury. Overall, it’s still too early to judge Amadou, and the midfielder surely deserves a bit more game-time to showcase his real qualities.
