Norwich City: Marcelino Nunez withdraws from Chile squad.
Norwich City midfielder Marcelino Nunez has withdrawn from the latest Chile squad with a hamstring injury.
Nunez starred in the Canaries’ 4-0 demolition of Hull on Saturday, scoring a rasping opener from 25 yards and earning plaudits for his control of the midfield.
A statement from the Chilean football federation has ruled him out of clashes with Brazil and Columbia, however, revealing that the 24-year-old’s recovery is expected to extend beyond those fixtures.
The statement, released on the National Association of Professional Football’s official website, says: “The Medical Corps of the Chilean National Team reports that players Marcelino Nuñez and Gabriel Suazo have been released from the call of the current FIFA date.
“Both players have muscle injuries in hamstrings confirmed by imaging studies whose recovery period exceeds the times of the double date of the South American Qualifiers.”
Nunez has already become a key player in the Johannes Hoff Thorup regime at Carrow Road, starting every Championship game of his tenure and scoring twice. He’ll be assessed by staff at the Avant Training Centre to determine the extent of the injury.
His issue adds to a growing list of fitness concerns for City, after Angus Gunn was substituted at half time in that Hull win. The goalkeeper has been included in the Scotland squad for games against Croatia and Portugal, with head coach Thorup confirming he too would be assessed before travelling.
Panamanian international Jose Cordoba, who was a late fitness call at the weekend after sustaining a minor knee injury in last Tuesday’s draw with Leeds, is expected to be looked at by national team staff in South America. He’s been selected for games against the USA and Canada, but felt pain towards the end of the Tigers victory.
Already on the sidelines were Onel Hernandez, who could be out for another nine weeks with his own hamstring injury, and experienced striker Ashley Barnes. The latter has returned to a protective boot despite surgery this summer on his Achilles problem, with no recovery timeline made public.
Jacob Sorensen and Christian Fassnacht are expected to be back in team training after the break, while Tony Springett will be absent until Christmas with a back injury.
