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Positive Pukki injury bulletin in his battle to face Wolves
Teemu Pukki suffered a toe injury in the first half of Norwich City's Premier League draw at Leicester City Picture: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images - Credit: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd
Teemu Pukki’s toe injury is not as bad as first feared but the Norwich City top gun now faces a race against time to be fit for Wolves’ Premier League visit.
The Canaries' nine-goal leading scorer did not break a bone in his right foot at Leicester, following a further medical assessment over the weekend.
But Pukki is still expected to sit out part of the build up and undergo intensive treatment to ease the swelling and bruising ahead of Saturday's Carrow Road date with Wolves.
The Finnish international suffered the blow after trying to hurdle Leicester full back Ricardo Pereira's challenge in the first half of a 1-1 draw in the East Midlands. Pukki lasted the entire game but head coach Daniel Farke revealed afterwards the striker had played on with a suspected broken toe.
The 29-year-old, along with Ben Godfrey, is the only ever-present in City's ranks during this season's Premier League quest. With Josip Drmic (hamstring) ruled out until January, Pukki's unavailability for the start of the festive period would be a major blow to the Canaries.
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Farke, however, sounded a cautiously optimistic note immediately after Saturday's Foxes' league draw.
"It will be pretty painful for the next few days. I expect him to be with us for the Wolves game," he said. "He is a strong lad, even in this game he was able to continue. He is a strong boy from Finland. The next two or three days he probably can't train but then I expect it to improve.
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"If he had been on his top level I would have expected him to score again with some of his second half chances. It says a lot about his character he wants to go further on and he wants to deliver for the team."