Borja Sainz’s goalscoring debut underlined why Norwich City head coach David Wagner was desperate to sign the exciting winger.

Sainz needed 12 minutes of his first senior appearance in green and yellow to showcase his attacking quality in a 2-1 League Cup defeat at Fulham on Wednesday.

The 22-year-old, who suffered a pre-season ankle injury following his move from Turkey, held off highly-rated Cottagers’ midfielder Joao Paulinha to slot Jon Rowe’s pass, after his initial burst had sparked panic in the home defence.

Wagner sounded a note of caution Sainz still needs to be handled with care, in his bid for full fitness, but backs the attacker to make his mark on the Championship.

“This is one of the reasons why we signed him,” he said. “To be fair, I was not surprised about this movement and the chance which he created, to drive from outside to inside and then the finish. I’ve seen this in training.

“Obviously he is following the plan, which we have called his individual pre-season. This was another chance to give him 30 minutes and great that he scored as well, as this gives him a boost. He will need further game time in the Under-21s.

“But we know he will add further competition on our wide positions because his first touch, we have seen, is great and he is a goal threat.

“What was nice to see for me as a manager was that he knows already, even if he had not had a lot of team training with us, how we like to attack, and how we like to defend, in terms of the structure. He was in the right places at the right moment. And this is what’s nice to see as well.

“Obviously, that he immediately scored was great for him in terms of everything which will now follow. But we know that he has to catch up a lot of fitness after the long time he was out injured.”