Norwich City cause for concern is clear for Johannes Hoff Thorup | OneFootball

Norwich City's lack of squad depth is coming back to haunt them as their injury list continues to grow

Norwich City's lack of squad depth is slowly chipping away at the goodwill earned from positive results earlier in the season.

Recruitment this summer has focused on investing for the future, signing young players who need the time to develop and adapt to the Championship.

But such a strategy always runs the risk that when players are out due to injury or suspension, the young guns suddenly have responsibility for results thrust upon them.

The injury list is a concern for Johannes Hoff Thorup

The Canaries have lost key players in recent weeks.

Angus Gunn going off at half-time in Norwich's 4-0 win to Hull was perhaps a bleak sign of things to come with Marcelino Nunez, who's become a central cog in Johannes Hoff Thorup's system, falling shortly afterwards.

Kenny McClean's three-match suspension certainly hasn't helped matters as his manager's response illustrates. Thorup told the PinkUn: "He's an important player, just the way that he can dictate the game from that central position."

Added to that, the devastating blow of Josh Sargent requiring surgery for a groin issue leaving him out until 2025, will leave Thorup plenty to ponder in the coming weeks.

Perhaps slightly less noticeable is the absence of squad options who can see out a result in the latter stages of the game.

Onel Hernandez's commitment to Norwich City remains second to none and the Cuban fulfills an important role within the squad, being able to come off the bench to cause problems for tired defenders and keep the ball in the attacking half. With other injuries weighing down on the squad, his injury absence has also caused problems for the club.

Ashley Barnes has been kept on the sidelines all season and with Josh Sargent out, Norwich are lacking in established centre-forward options, forcing Borja Sainz to keep them in games with the occasional wonderstrike.

Norwich City's recruits since Thorup's arrival have an average age of just over 21, a stark contrast to the previous season where the average age is around 27.

The recent signings are a bold move from sporting director Ben Knapper, who clearly wanted players that would improve over time, but it may come at the price of a lack of squad depth, at least in the short term.

Unfortunately for the Yella' Army, their lack of experience has been on full display, with the Cardiff City and Sheffield Wednesday away games both proving that there's a lot to learn for the younger ones about how to win games in the Championship.

While most Norwich fans are happy to accept that with youth and inexperience, there comes a learning curve, it's one that is made exponentially more difficult when they're the ones having the responsibility to get the results.

One summer signing, 18-year-old Oscar Schwartau, has shown promising signs since joining from Brøndby, but even Thorup admits he didn't expect the Dane to be playing as much as he already has this season.

Ante Crnac is also yet to come alive for Norwich, but as the only player who can realistically step into the Josh Sargent-shaped hole in the starting eleven, he's now forced to lead the line in a team that will be hoping to push at least for the playoffs. It will undoubtedly be a huge weight on the 20-year-old's shoulders, especially given it's his first season in English football.

Loan signing from Liverpool Kaide Gordon also got his first start in the yellow shirt at Sheffield Wednesday. He's shown there's clearly a decent player in there and has a willingness to create, it will just be the case of unlocking his talent with more minutes.

Yet, Norwich have clearly shown already this season that the younger players can step up when needed. 20-year-old Kellen Fisher has dazzled Carrow Road in his 10 games so far this season.

Jose Cordoba and Callum Doyle have also been somewhat dependable at the back, though they will need to step up to prevent the leakage of goals that have plagued the Canaries in recent games. Norwich have conceded 10 in the 5 games since Angus Gunn's injury.

No need to panic just yet

Thorup's high-intensity-based style means that injuries are inevitable, and he will have to learn how to balance that with the high-intensity league that is the Championship.

To put a positive outlook on Norwich's injury crisis, it does mean that those younger players forced into the squad will only benefit from playing more Championship football, adapting quickly to what it demands.

The lack of squad depth was also going to be an issue for the Norfolk side this season and it's an issue that is undoubtedly made worse by the list of injuries Norwich have, but given time, the fruits of the younger recruitment drive will start to bear.