David Cuffley Antoine Sibierski's stay with Norwich City is over after it was confirmed he will be sidelined for a month by injury. The Frenchman was stretchered off after an hour of Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Sheffield United with a twisted ankle.

David Cuffley

Antoine Sibierski's stay with Norwich City is over after it was confirmed he will be sidelined for a month by injury.

The Frenchman was stretchered off after an hour of Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Sheffield United with a twisted ankle.

It means he will miss the last two scheduled games of his loan spell, against Charlton in tomorrow's FA Cup third round replay at Carrow Road (7.45pm) and the Championship visit of Barnsley on Saturday.

“That will have been his last game for us. We think the injury will be a minimum of a month - could be longer,” said manager Glenn Roeder today.

“He's got quite severe bruising on his ankle, which he twisted badly, and took a kick on it as well, so as far as I'm concerned he'll go back to Wigan and we'll see what happens thereafter.

“But he certainly couldn't have been in our plans for four or five weeks, anyway.”

Asked whether he would have tried to extend the loan, Roeder said: “It was dependent on other things, to be absolutely truthful.

“I've got huge respect for Antoine Sibierski. He did a great job for me at Newcastle, the one full season he had there and he always gives his all. He acts like a professional should act. We could have done with him around the place these next couple of games.”

The 34-year-old Sibierski scored twice in 16 games for City, in victories over Plymouth and Doncaster.

Darel Russell is available tomorrow after suspension, while fellow midfielder Matty Pattison is fit after missing the game at Bramall Lane.

“I was over-cautious with him because he could have been on the bench but I didn't want to take a chance because, of the three dead legs we got last week, he was the worst,” said Roeder.

David Bell could also be in line to start tomorrow night after a half-hour outing against the Blades, though he has a persistent ankle injury.

Adam Drury looks set to return in defence with on-loan Jonathan Grounds not eligible.

But though youngsters such as Korey Smith, Tom Adeyemi and Damon Lathrope could feature on the bench tomorrow, Roeder ruled out throwing any of his Academy prospects into a real FA Cup tie from the start.

“We haven't got a youngster ready yet. Though I think they are fine young prospects, they aren't anywhere near ready to play in the first team,” he said.