Norwich will be hoping to continue their outstanding Championship form when they travel to Stoke City on Tuesday evening.

Daniel Farke's side beat Middlesbrough on Saturday to move to the top of the second-tier for the first time following their relegation from the Premier League.

But whilst the Canaries also extended their unbeaten run to eight league matches, it came at a cost for Farke, who has since confirmed that'll he's expecting to be without a trio of key players for their game at the Bet365 Stadium.

The Norwich boss revealed that Todd Cantwell, Kenny McLean and Jordan Hugill are all facing weeks on the sidelines - the latter two suffering their respective injuries at the Riverside Stadium, whilst Cantwell hasn't featured since the draw with Brentford last month.

"It's a shoulder ligament injury for Hugill," Farke told Norwich's official website. "We will try to handle this in a conservative way. He may need surgery, so that will mean a long-term absence. But he's definitely out for three weeks.

 

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"McLean is also out, we scanned him this morning after he twisted his knee and he has a meniscus tear. We will wait for the injury to settle down and he'll see a specialist this week. We will also handle this in a conservative way.

"He will be out for six weeks or if he needs surgery it could be four to five months."

Elsewhere, midfielder Lukas Rupp is nursing a hamstring problem and is doubtful for the game against Stoke.

The Verdict

There's no doubt that this is a serious setback for Norwich and Farke.

But whilst Cantwell's season hasn't really got going, Hugill has only netted once this season and Pukki's  goalscoring record should see Norwich covered in the strike department.

Having said that, the Canaries do have plenty of momentum given they're top of the Championship and have a strong enough squad to continue their promotion charge and cope with these injuries.