Josip Drmic has claimed he is no longer playing for Norwich City Under-23s as he has been told club staff do not want him stifling the development of the academy strikers.

The 28-year-old has been frozen out at City following Premier League relegation but wasn’t able to find a new club ahead of the closure of the summer transfer window in October.

However, as the transfer deadline was looming he made two U23 appearances during September, scoring a goal in each game at the Lotus Training Centre, in 3-0 wins over Reading and Crystal Palace in Premier League Two as he tried to catch the attention of scouts.

However, the Switzerland international has not featured in the previous four games for the Canaries’ development squad.

“They don’t want me to take a boy’s place,” Drmic has explained, speaking to Swiss-language German newspaper Blick.

He continued: “I am fit and feel good. But when the others play on the weekend, I’m always free.”

Moritz Leitner also played in the Palace game as he also searched for a new club. Leitner, Drmic and Tom Trybull were not given squad numbers as City refreshed their squad ahead of returning to the Championship.

Only Trybull was able to secure a move however, joining Blackburn Rovers on loan, seemingly leaving Drmic and Leitner out in the cold and looking for a new club ahead of the January transfer window.

“It’s the most difficult time in my professional life so far,” Drmic added, saying that he cannot have visitors from Switzerland due to Covid-19 restrictions and quarantine rules.

Drmic managed three goals in 24 games last season after signing on a free in 2019 from Borussia Monchengladbach, missing two months of the campaign with a hamstring problem. A red card also meant he was still suspended for the first two games of this season and his chances of returning to the Switzerland squad ahead of Euro 2021 are now looking slim.

He concluded: “I do additional individual training and try to stay positive. But to be honest: It’s not easy.”