DAVID CUFFLEY Former World Cup defender Lucien Mettomo will not be offered a contract by Norwich City - at least not in the immediate future. The 30-year-old Cameroon international, capped 29 times by his country, has been on trial at Colney this week after being released by Swiss Super Liga outfit FC Lucerne.

DAVID CUFFLEY

Former World Cup defender Lucien Mettomo will not be offered a contract by Norwich City - at least not in the immediate future.

The 30-year-old Cameroon international, capped 29 times by his country, has been on trial at Colney this week after being released by Swiss Super Liga outfit FC Lucerne.

Manager Peter Grant confirmed today that he would not be signing the former Manchester City centre-back at the moment because he would not be match fit in time for the Canaries' hectic schedule of matches in the second half of September.

However, Mettomo has returned to his home in France to consider whether to take up the offer of a longer trial period with City.

Said Grant: “To be fair, he did well but he's not played any games.

“He's not had any game time and if you asked would he be able to play in the next two or three games, then no. He's a week or two away from fitness.

“With the people who are out at the moment, I can't afford to be bringing in another guy who won't be available to play.”

However, City are prepared to offer him a longer spell training with them.

Said Grant: “We've asked him to go away for a couple of days and think about it but it would be very much short term, weeks rather than months.

“We could offer him another couple of weeks but if he is trying to get a club, there may somebody else who wants to look at him.

“He's gone back home to speak to his agent. Bryan Gunn has spoken to his representatives and I have spoken to the boy and his agent.”

Mettomo is available as a free agent outside the transfer window, which closed last week, as part of the “emergency” loan market.

City's defensive resources are stretched with skipper Jason Shackell sidelined by ankle ligament damage, with Dion Dublin partnering Gary Doherty at centre-back in Saturday's 2-1 defeat by Cardiff.

The home game against Crystal Palace, a week tomorrow, is the first of six games in 18 days for the Canaries, with five Championship matches and the Carling Cup trip to Manchester City.

Mettomo started his career at St Etienne where he helped establish the club in the French top flight during 81 appearances in a three-year stint. A serious knee injury wrecked his chance of a move to Blackburn in 2000 before he made a £1.5m switch to north-west rivals Manchester City in September 2001.

He made 30 appearances in a two-year City spell. Mettomo was transferred to German Bundesliga club Kaiserslautern prior to his recent career in Switzerland.

Douala-born Mettomo played in the the 2002 World Cup finals in Japan and South Korea and was part of the Cameroon squad which lost the 2003 Confederations Cup final to France.