RICK WAGHORN Norwich City's injury crisis plumbed new depths today with the news that on-loan midfielder Carl Robinson could be out for “a month plus” after aggravating his rib injury in the 3-0 home defeat by Preston North End on Monday.

RICK WAGHORN

Norwich City's injury crisis plumbed new depths today with the news that on-loan midfielder Carl Robinson could be out for “a month plus” after aggravating his rib injury in the 3-0 home defeat by Preston North End on Monday.

Add that to the fact that both Adam Drury (hamstring) and Jürgen Colin (groin) are “touch and go” for Saturday's FA Cup third round clash with West Ham United at Carrow Road, and hard-pressed City boss Nigel Worthington admitted he would have little alternative but to raid the ranks of the club's Academy youngsters to fill the substitutes' bench this weekend.

“Carl Robinson is definitely out,” said Worthington, as he revealed the dramatic nature of the Welsh international's injury woe. He spent the night in hospital after the Preston game with further damage to his ribs.

“He is making nice progress now but you're probably looking at a month plus in terms of how long he's likely to be out for.

“Adam Drury's a doubt - he's last minute. Jurgen Colin - he's touch and go as well with a groin problem.”

With Darren Huckerby suspended and Youssef Safri back home in Morocco preparing for the African Cup of Nations tournament, all Worthington could do was run through a list of his stricken troops, all of them littering Neal Reynolds' overcrowded treatment room.

“Matthieu Louis-Jean (calf), he's long term. Leon McKenzie (ankle) he's out - you're probably talking at least two to three weeks. Andy Hughes (cheekbone) is out. Ryan Jarvis (knee) is out - we're trying to build up the muscles around his knee so when he comes back he stays back. Jason Shackell (virus) - we're working him hard in training, but he needs to play a game.”

The only certainty is that Gary Doherty and Craig Fleming's centre-half partnership will continue, while there is no suggestion whatever that in-demand Canary striker Dean Ashton will sit out Saturday's game out in a bid to ensure that he wasn't cup-tied for any potential Premiership buyer.

As for which youngsters may feature, Worthington named two - Rossi Jarvis and 16-year-old Michael Spillane.

“That's the situation - that's football. We've just got to get on with it.”