Josh Sargent's return can bring the best out of one Norwich City teammate: View | OneFootball

The recent return from injury of Josh Sargent could help bring the best out of Norwich City teammate Jack Stacey, as the Canaries carry on their chase for the top six this season.

Manager David Wagner has kept his side within touching distance of the play-offs. Despite some lengthy injuries to key players, Norwich sit ninth in the league table, just two points off Coventry City in sixth place.

The stage is set for them to make a sustained push in the second half of the season, with the recent return from injury of striker Sargent a huge boost to their promotion hopes.

With 15 matches left, there is a long way for the Canaries to go in this current campaign, but getting the best out of Stacey and Sargent will be key in their hopes of returning to the Premier League.

Norwich have been without one of their top players for most of the season, with Sargent missing the bulk of the campaign so far with long-term injury worries.

Sargent has been a key player for the Canaries since signing for the club in 2021, and impressed last year, with 13 league goals in the Championship.

However, he suffered an ankle injury in August that kept him off the pitch for four months, which was a huge shame following his impressive early-season form where he netted three times in his first four matches.

The United States international missed 20 league matches between September and December, only returning as a late substitute in the Canaries' final game of the year, a 1-0 loss to Millwall at the Den.

He has quickly become an instant starter in the Norwich attack, but it is his fellow striker Stacey who could benefit most from the American's return to the team in the second half of the campaign.

Sargent could help get the best of Stacey this season

Sargent's return to the team after injury can help the team get the best out of Stacey, with the pair complimenting the other's game in attack.

With Sargent's height and heading ability, he provides a target man for the full-back to aim his crosses to in the box. Stacey is one of the best in the entire division when it comes to crossing, achieving 22 successful crosses this season, and could create more chances with a proven scorer in the box like Sargent.

He likes to get forward, being in the top 25% of successful dribbles in the division, although his 40% success rate shows he likes to get forward a lot, sometimes with little attacking output. This is something Wagner will need to take note of, and shore up the defence behind him before allowing Stacey a licence to roam up the right-hand side.

The potential combination play between Sargent and Stacey was seen clearly during the Canaries's 2-2 draw with QPR on the weekend. Jonathan Rowe tucked inside to give Stacey space out wide, before the right-back found Sargent with a perfect cross, and the American headed it into the net to make the game 2-1 in the second half.

With Rowe in good form all season, too, his partnership with Stacey on the right-hand side can flourish even more, especially with a target man like Sargent in the box.

With how clinical he has been so far this season, he can definitely help make the most of Stacey's creativity. With 0.94 expected goals per game, he is amongst the top 5% of the most clinical players in the division. He also wins 48% of his aerial duels, meaning that if Stacey can find him in the six-yard, there's half a chance he will get a chance on goal.

Sargent's return from injury also eases the pressure on Rowe. The 19-year-old has had a breakout year so far, scoring 12 times to put him amongst the top scorers in the league. With another proven goalscorer in the side, there is less pressure on him to score every game, which can only be good for him mentally, and for his development as a footballer.

With Sargent's impressive form already this season, Norwich will have the feeling that they can go all the way in the play-off race, if he can help them get the best out of Stacey in the final 15 matches in the league.