Sam Byram enjoyed his first match action in over 19 months last night as he played the first half of Norwich City Under-23s' draw with Charlton Athletic U23s.

The 28-year-old suffered a serious hamstring injury in February 2020, 27 minutes into a 1-0 defeat to Liverpool at Carrow Road, his 13th start at left-back in 14 Premier League games.

Two hamstring operations and some aborted attempts at returning to full training kept the former West Ham and Leeds full-back out for all of last season.

With City back in the top flight, he has been working his way tentatively towards full fitness during the opening months of this season and has been training fully with the first team in recent weeks.

He stepped up that process with a pre-planned 45 minutes as City's youngsters were held to a draw in the Premier League Cup group stages at Colney.

With new head coach Dean Smith and assistant Craig Shakespeare among the interested observers at the Lotus Training Centre, Byram started at right-back and wore the captain's armband.

Jon Rowe's sixth goal of the season claimed a deserved lead for the young Canaries midway through the first half, with Tom Dickson-Peters also hitting the post before the break.

Charlton equalised three minutes after half-time though, when Wassim Aouachria headed in a cross, and some good saves from Jon McCracken were needed to make sure of a 1-1 final score.

City's U23s return to Premier League Two action on Sunday with a game away to Middlesbrough. They sit bottom of Group C in the PL Cup with two points to their name with three games remaining.

Byram is under contract at City until the summer of 2023, having been signed from West Ham for £500,000 in 2019 after an injury-hit Championship loan season at Nottingham Forest.

City U23s (4-3-1-2): McCracken; Byram (C - Giurgi 46)), Warner, Earley, Springett; Clarke, Khumbeni, Gibbs; Hutchinson; Dickson-Peters, Rowe. Subs: Berry (GK) Riley, Tomkinson.

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