Norwich City's Onel Hernandez (centre left) celebrates with team-mate Marcelino Nunez after scoring their side's fourth goal of the game during the Carabao Cup first round match at Carrow Road, Norwich. Picture date: Tuesday August 13, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story SOCCER Norwich. Photo credit should read: Zac Goodwin/PA Wire. RESTRICTIONS: EDITORIAL USE ONLY No use with unauthorised audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications.
Can the Under-21s help JHT during the current injury crisis?
With City having many players out with injuries at the first-team level, the natural assumption among supporters is that there are academy players in the pipeline ready to take their places. However, that isn’t always the case, with young players developing at different stages.
Like most EFL clubs, Norwich have a few high-performing U21 players who are close to reaching first-team level, several U18s breaking through to the development squad and a couple of others on the periphery of the first-team who desperately need match fitness.
Lucien Mahovo and Elliot Myles are the two highest-performing U21 players and both have been involved in first-team match days recently, regularly making the bench, including in midweek at Sheffield Wednesday.
Both have performed admirably for the U21s this season, with Myles delivering fantastic consistency throughout 2024. One similarity between the pair is their terrific technical quality, with Mahovo and Myles being the biggest ball-progressors in the U21s team.
With Johannes Hoff Thorup wanting players who are sharp at playing quick, forward passes, both align perfectly with this ideology.
Myles has had an odd start to the season, with the youngster playing significantly fewer games than at this same stage last season. Due to Throup seeing Myles’ potential, he has been training with the first team since pre-season, which has allowed him to learn the Dane’s style of play in the hope he could feature for the first team later this season or beyond.
