Norwich City

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Norwich City boss Philippe Clement says the injury suffered by Ali Ahmed during Saturday's 2-1 friendly defeat by Osasuna "does not look good".

Ahmed had to be helped off the pitch in the 79th minute at Carrow Road and was replaced by Liam Gibbs.

The 25-year-old moved to Norwich in January from Vancouver Whitecaps, going on to score four goals and provide three assists in the Championship.

He then made four appearances for Canada at the World Cup as the co-hosts were knocked out in the round of 16.

"It doesn't look good, he felt something in his knee, that's never good of course," Clement told BBC Radio Norfolk.

"Everybody is a little bit devastated and you saw that on the pitch. It has a knock on all of the team. It is not only team-mates, it is really a family together.

"The players are so united, that's why it has more of an effect than when you are just team-mates."

Defender Harry Darling says competition for places will help Norwich City as the Canaries continue their preparations for the upcoming season.

The summer addition of Brazil Under-20 international Bruno Alves means head coach Philippe Clement has bolstered his options in central defence.

"There's competition for places, we all want to play," Darling told BBC Radio Norfolk.

"We push each other on to play our best football. Obviously, I would have liked to have started a few more games than I did [last season] but that's football.

"Jose [Cordoba] and Ruairi [McConville] did brilliantly and as long as we're winning games, that's all our jobs."

Norwich defender Ruairi McConville says the players around him at Carrow Road will help him become a better footballer.

The Northern Ireland international, 21, was out of favour under previous head coach Liam Manning but started 19 league matches in a row under Philippe Clement, forming a strong partnership at the back with Jose Cordoba.

Norwich finished last season ninth and eight points off of the play-off places but they ended the campaign well, winning 13 of their final 20 matches.

"We all have the same goal. We all want to be Premier League footballers," McConville told BBC Radio Norfolk.

"I think I'm at the best club and I've got the best manager to do that for me and a great group of lads that will make me better."

The Canaries kick off their Championship campaign against West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, 15 August.

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Norwich City have appointed Gabor Ruhr as their new head of scouting.

The 37-year-old has moved to the Championship club from Bundesliga side FC Koln, with whom he held a similar position, having also worked for Eintracht Frankfurt and Hertha Berlin.

Ruhr has replaced Lee Dunn, who was promoted to assistant sporting director at Carrow Road when Neil Adams retired at the end of last season.

The Canaries have also named Andrew Procter as their head of physiotherapy after he left Championship rivals Blackburn Rovers and Dr Pippa Bennett will be the club's new chief medical officer.

Norwich City are not interested in selling any of their first team players, says head coach Philippe Clement.

Full-back Kellen Fisher has been linked with a possible move to Premier League newcomers Hull City and missed Wednesday night's goalless draw at AFC Wimbledon in the Canaries' latest pre-season friendly.

"It's very simple, in a game we played yesterday (Tuesday) he jumped and landed on a team-mate and twisted his ankle so he was not able to play," Clement told BBC Radio Norfolk.

"It's clear for all the players, there is a clear plan - nobody will leave who is a potential starting 11 player. I know it's the time of the year where there are no games and no big stories so people like to make stories but there are no stories about that."

Norwich finished ninth in the Championship last season, having been in the relegation zone when Clement replaced Liam Manning as head coach in November and the Belgian has made it clear they are not looking to sell any first choice players.

"Only when people come with crazy money to get players away from our team who can be in the starting 11 and you can get a better replacement (would we consider selling), you can never say no," he added.

"I can honestly say there has not been one bid for a player because all the agents and players know we don't want anyone to leave."

Norwich start the new Championship season at home to West Brom on Saturday, 15 August (15:00 BST).

Listen to more Norwich City interviews and content on BBC Sounds.

A new episode of BBC Radio Norfolk's The Scrimmage podcast is now available.

Phil Daley, Chris Reeve and Chris Goreham are joined by the the Pink Un's chief Norwich City reporter Connor Southwell to reflect on the Canaries' pre-season trip to Switzerland and how the squad is looking as the new season approaches.

Listen below or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

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Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

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Hull City are keen on Norwich full-back Kellen Fisher.

The 22-year-old has been discussed by the Tigers as they look to add to their squad following promotion.

There has been no direct club contact as Hull assess their options as they prepare for a return to the Premier League.

They are also interested in Aston Villa winger Leon Bailey, who will be allowed to leave Villa Park this summer.

The versatile Lewie Coyle and ex-Leeds defender Cody Drameh are the current right-back options for boss Sergej Jakirovic.

Fisher has made 102 appearances for Norwich since joining from Bromley in 2023 and has earned two England Under-21 caps while with the Canaries.

Middlesbrough and Norwich are set to go head-to-head for 26-year-old defensive midfielder Balthazar Pierret, who plays for French Ligue 2 club Red Star (Sky Sports - in French, external)

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Tuesday's gossip column here.

Norwich City and West Ham are interested in left-back Matt Targett, 30, following his release by Newcastle. The defender spent last season on loan at Middlesbrough. (Shields Gazette, external)

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Thursday's gossip column here.

Norwich City midfielder Sam Field has high expectations for the Canaries in the 2026-27 Championship season as they look to build on last term's turnaround.

The side won 17 out of their 31 league games under boss Philippe Clement, rising from second bottom when he took over to finish just eight points off the play-offs.

But a win rate of 54% is still not quite enough for the Belgian head coach, Field says.

"If we had a couple more weeks [last season], we all know what would have been the likelihood so we want to build on that as quickly as possible," Field told BBC Radio Norfolk.

• Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds

"This manager has an expectation to win every game so he won't be looking at top two, he wants to win 46 out of 46. It's such a good mindset to have."

Success requires hard work, though, and pre-season has demanded plenty from Clement's men.

"His teams are high intensity and that's what you want," Field added.

"You can't really argue with that when you're out-working teams and playing better than them.

"There's no complaints. You're too out of breath to complain to be honest."

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Norwich City will face a new challenge when the Championship season kicks off in August, according to boss Philippe Clement.

The Canaries went from second from bottom when the Belgian was appointed head coach in November to finish ninth in the table, winning 17 of his 31 league games in charge.

"It's a new challenge again, building a new squad, making transfers," he told BBC Radio Norfolk.

"We've done a lot in a short time so that's a positive, they can step into pre-season and aren't coming in August."

Norwich have signed defender Bruno Alves and winger Andre Brooks so far this summer, with Clement already working hard to shape his side for a promotion challenge after last season's strong finish.

"We have worked on basics, our way of playing. Everyone saw that growing last season but you need to go back on things to refresh it in people's minds," he added.

Norwich start the new Championship season at home to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, 15 August (KO 15:00 BST).

New Norwich City defender Bruno Alves impressed boss Philippe Clement after playing his first minutes for the Canaries in a pre-season friendly against Kings Lynn Town on Saturday.

The 20-year-old joined the Canaries on a season-long loan from Brazilian side Cruzeiro in June for his first taste of English football.

"What you saw today is somebody with a lot of football qualities, really calm on the ball, intelligent," Clement told BBC Radio Norfolk.

"We are really pleased with the way he adapts already in the first week.

"He looks a talented boy for the future and of course, it's going to take time to adapt to things, but he's showing the right mentality."

Norwich have made three signings this summer including forward Andre Brooks and a three-year contract for Sam Field from QPR, as well as a new deal for captain Kenny McLean.

"We did three transfers so it's a lot compared to other teams," Clement added.

"A lot of good work has been done already so we aren't going to do many transfers and I'm happy about that."

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Seven English Football League players went out of the World Cup over the course of the weekend.

Wolves striker Raul Jimenez and West Ham defender Edson Alvarez were in the Mexico team which lost 3-2 to England in a thrilling last-16 contest at the Azteca Stadium in the early hours of Monday morning.

Jimenez netted three times for his nation at the tournament, including a 69th-minute penalty against the Three Lions, but will now return to Molineux to prepare for the Championship season after signing from Fulham this summer.

Southampton forward Cyle Larin and Norwich City midfielder Ali Ahmed both featured for Canada in their last-16 encounter with Morocco on Saturday, but could not prevent the co-hosts from suffering a 3-0 defeat.

Larin scored two goals in the group stages for Canada to help them progress to the knockouts for the first time in their history, while Middlesbrough defender Alfie Jones was also part of the squad but did not play.

Leicester City duo Jordan Ayew and Abdul Fatawu played for Ghana in their 1-0 loss to Colombia in the last 32 on Saturday.

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Into the round of 16 we go at the World Cup and we still have some English Football League stars searching for international glory.

Here is where you can catch your players as we enter the next knock-out stage:

Saturday, 4 July

Alfie Jones, Middlesbrough - Canada v Morocco (18:00 BST)

Ali Ahmed, Norwich City - Canada v Morocco (18:00 BST)

Cyle Larin, Southampton - Canada v Morocco (18:00 BST)

Sunday, 5 July

Sondre Langas, Derby County - Brazil v Norway (21:00 BST)

Egil Selvik, Watford - Brazil v Norway (21:00 BST)

David Moller Wolfe, Wolves - Brazil v Norway (21:00 BST)

Monday, 6 July

Raul Jimenez, Wolves - Mexico v England (01:00 BST)

Jose Sa, Wolves - Portugal v Spain (20:00 BST)

Tuesday, 7 July

Zeki Amdouni, Burnley - Switzerland v Colombia (21:00 BST)

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West Ham winger Crysencio Summerville saw his shot saved during a dramatic penalty shootout against Morocco to knock the Netherlands out of the World Cup on Tuesday.

Summerville had provided the assist for Cody Gakpo's opener in the 72nd minute, but Morocco equalised in the 91st to force extra time.

Both sides had missed two previous penalties before the 24-year-old stood up to take the fifth for the Dutch side; however Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou denied him, and Ismael Saibari then sealed the win for their opponents.

Burnley's Lyle Foster will also be heading home after South Africa succumbed to a 1-0 defeat to Canada.

However, the win for the North American side does mean three English Football League players have made it through to the round of 16 in the World Cup.

Southampton striker Cyle Larin and Ali Ahmed of Norwich City both featured for Canada in the group stage but were unused substitutes for Sunday's knock-out match alongside Middlesbrough's Alfie Jones.

Canada next faces Morocco in Texas on Saturday at 18:00 BST.

Image source, Getty Images

We have reached the knock-out rounds of the World Cup but there are still plenty of players from the English Football League representing their country.

Here is where you can watch them in the round of 32:

Sunday, 28 June

• Lyle Foster, Burnley - South Africa v Canada (20:00 BST)

• Alfie Jones, Middlesbrough - South Africa v Canada (20:00 BST)

• Ali Ahmed, Norwich City - South Africa v Canada (20:00 BST)

• Cyle Larin, Southampton - South Africa v Canada (20:00 BST)

Tuesday, 30 June

• Crysencio Summerville, West Ham - Netherlands v Morocco (02:00 BST)

• Sondre Langas, Derby County - Ivory Coast v Norway (18:00 BST)

• Egil Selvik, Watford - Ivory Coast v Norway (18:00 BST)

• David Moller Wolfe, Wolves - Ivory Coast v Norway (18:00 BST)

• Hjalmar Ekdal, Burnley - France v Sweden (22:00 BST)

• Jacob Widell Zetterstrom, Derby County - France v Sweden (22:00 BST)

• Viktor Johansson, Stoke City - France v Sweden (22:00 BST)

Wednesday, 1 July

• Edson Alvarez, West Ham - Mexico v Ecuador (02:00 BST)

• Raul Jimenez, Wolves - Mexico v Ecuador (02:00 BST)

• Axel Tuanzebe, Burnley - England v DR Congo (17:00 BST)

• Edo Kayembe, Watford - England v DR Congo (17:00 BST)

• Aaron Wan-Bissaka, West Ham - England v DR Congo (17:00 BST)

• El-Hadji Malick Diouf, West Ham - Belgium v Senegal (21:00 BST)

Friday, 3 July

• Jose Sa, Wolves - Portugal v Croatia (00:00 BST)

• Zeki Amdouni, Burnley - Switzerland v Algeria (04:00 BST)

• Harry Souttar, Leicester City - Australia v Egypt (19:00 BST)

• Mohamed Toure, Norwich City - Australia v Egypt (19:00 BST)

• Cameron Burgess, Swansea City - Australia v Egypt (19:00 BST)

• Nestory Irankunda, Watford - Australia v Egypt (19:00 BST)

Saturday, 4 July

• Abdul Fatawu, Leicester City, Colombia v Ghana (02:30 BST)

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The versatility of forward Andre Brooks should make him a major asset for Norwich City, according to BBC Radio Sheffield sports reporter Andy Giddings.

Brooks, 22, joined the Canaries from Sheffield United on Thursday for an undisclosed fee, their second signing of the summer so far.

"Andre is a very good and emerging player who over the course of the past few years has really come into his own at Sheffield United," Giddings told BBC Radio Norfolk.

"He's played Premier League football in central midfield but has found a home on the right hand side of a three behind a central striker and he's done very well.

"He scores goals in patches, his general performances are by and large consistent, and such has been that consistency over the course of the past year or so that he's got some international football with the Jamaican national team too."

Giddings said United fans had been warned that one or two players might have to be sold, but Brooks' departure was a surprise.

"Whatever Norwich have paid for him it won't be enough, even though it probably is at the going market rate," Giddings added.

"He is a player that can play in multiple different roles in a team, it's not beyond him. (Norwich boss) Philippe Clement might privately have to get on Andre's heels a little bit but if he can put out there the type of player that Sheffield United fans have seen more often than not, I think he'll do well.

"If he plays on the right hand side, the partnership with the right-back will be key - he's a tireless runner without being rapid, so if the right-back at Norwich has a bit of pace to him, you could have a decent right hand side this year."

The EFL fixture list is out and we know you are bursting to know what you have got to look forward to, or dread, from your team this upcoming season.

Here are some key dates to put in your diary:

• 15 August 2026 - v West Bromwich Albion (H)

• 22 August 2026 - v Millwall (A)

• 26 December 2026 - v West Ham United (A)

• 1 January 2027 - v Lincoln City (H)

• 1 May 2027 - v QPR (A)

See Norwich City's full fixture list here.