Norwich City is preparing for their final pre-season friendly against CA Osasuna on Tuesday, facing significant injury concerns that have led to lineup adjustments. Pelle Mattsson has been ruled out after suffering a minor hip injury and will not feature in the upcoming match. The Danish midfielder received an injection earlier this week but is expected to be fit for the start of the Championship season.
In his absence, Jacob Wright starts alongside captain Kenny McLean in midfield. McLean returns for his second pre-season appearance following his World Cup involvement, which delayed his return to training. Fellow tournament participant Jose Cordoba lines up with Harry Darling in central defense, while Anis Ben Slimane, Ali Ahmed, and Mo Toure are named among the substitutes. Both Ahmed and Toure have yet to feature in a pre-season match.
Andre Brooks is named in the starting XI for his home debut, having previously featured in City's friendly against St Gallen in Switzerland. Amankwah Forson and Jakov Medic were left out after featuring in the youthful Norwich side against Boreham Wood on Friday; both players are expected to leave Carrow Road before the transfer window closes.
Ante Crnac, who has been recovering from an ACL injury since October, is yet to return. Despite hopes he could have made his comeback in the Under-21s' fixture last night, the forward will now be managed carefully and is expected to make a return in Tuesday's final pre-season fixture against Cambridge United.
Papa Amadou Diallo has resumed training and is progressing well towards full fitness. His anticipated return in the coming weeks could bolster the team's attacking options. The Canaries' injury list includes Kellen Fisher (ankle) and Jovon Makama (foot), who are both expected to miss several weeks after sustaining contact injuries during pre-season. Defender Lucien Mahovo faces around three months on the sidelines with an ankle injury suffered in the friendly against Colchester.
Long-term absentees Mirko Topic (ACL) and Gabe Forsyth (knee) continue their rehabilitation, with Topic recently returning to running on grass as his recovery gathers pace.
