Is USMNT star Josh Sargent injured again? Fitness update amid more ankle issues for in-form Norwich striker

The 23-year-old forward sat out 20 games early in the 2023-24 campaign after picking up an unfortunate knock. He has returned to action with a bang, finding the target on four occasions through his last five appearances – taking him to eight for the season.

Norwich are understandably keen to avoid taking risks on Sargent’s fitness and gave him just 56 minutes against Watford last time out as the USMNT began to limp. He has not trained since, with the Canaries hoping that another setback has been avoided.

Norwich boss David Wagner has said when asked for an update on Sargent: “Josh didn't train (on Thursday). We have to see how it looks. This will be, for sure, a late call. Obviously Josh already was limping in the first half. So we had the same dilemma. The medical department decided, ‘No, let's try it again’. But when he was limping further it was clear that we had to take him off quite early. Most of this relates still to his ankle, but not to the joints. I think your whole aesthetic changes after you have such a such surgery and, fitness-wise, with more load you have to be quite careful with him. This is why we've done everything, and he has done everything, to protect him as good as we can while building him up as well. This is the first time hopefully he can be involved in three games in a week. This was not the case in recent weeks. We will see how it looks. And where we go from there.”

Sargent was on target against QPR last weekend and again in a meeting with Watford on Tuesday. He will be eager to play some part in a home date with Cardiff on Saturday, as Norwich sit on the fringes of the Championship play-off places with 14 games left to take in.