Adam Idah’s season-ending knee injury is a hammer blow for Norwich City boss Dean Smith.
Idah underwent surgery on Thursday after an exploratory arthroscopy confirmed meniscus damage.
The Republic of Ireland international injured himself in the recent 1-1 top flight draw against Crystal Palace, after a breakthrough spell under Smith brought him a first Premier League start and goal in City’s upturn.
“That’s a big blow for us because he’d broken into the team and was doing really well. So disappointing for him and disappointing for the team,” said Smith, speaking at Colney on Friday morning as he previewed the trip to Liverpool. “It is a blow because Adam is a young player with an awful lot of potential who was getting better.
“He had just had his first Premier League start, and scored his first Premier League goal, which had given him an awful lot of confidence. But we’ve got players coming back from injury as well which is going to help the squad.
“We’ve got Josh Sargent who’s recently scored his first Premier league goals as well. There’s plenty of players there that we feel can share the load.
“It gives the opportunity to the likes of Przemyslaw (Placheta), Christos (Tzolis), (Kieran) Dowell and (Jonathan) Rowe, who’s really impressed us since he stepped in and started training with us. They’ve really got to step up to the plate because Adam was doing well.
“I’ve yet to speak to him yet. He went in to see the consultant on Thursday and they just dealt with it there. So I’m yet to speak to him. But at this football club we’ve got the ways and means to make sure he’s people to speak to if he needs to.
“It was actually in the (Palace) game when he did it. I haven’t seen the incident. But there was a tackle where I think he plants his foot and hurt his ankle and knee in the same incident but played on.
“Next day he came in for a recovery session, just felt a little bit stiff, came in the next day, it was still stiff so then it is time to report to the medical staff.
“It seemed a very innocuous one because he got through the game he can go and ran it off. Unfortunately there was a little bit more damage than that.”
