- Mo Toure scored a hat-trick against Bristol City on Saturday.
- Jovon Makama could return before the end of the season.
- This could be Mathias Kvistgaarden’s final chance to impress.
Norwich City centre-forward Mohamed Toure became the quickest player in the club’s history to score two hat-tricks when he netted three times against Bristol City on Saturday.
The Australia international, who joined from Randers for £2.6m in the winter window, has scored seven goals and provided three assists in eight Championship appearances for the club to date.
However, after his sensational performance against Roy Hodgson’s side at the weekend, Toure may not make the starting line-up against Derby County on Tuesday night.
Why Mohamed Toure may be benched against Derby
Read Norwich have predicted that the World Cup hopeful will be dropped to the bench for this clash with the Rams, because of his fitness situation.
Saturday was Toure’s first start for Norwich since 25th February, almost two months ago, after sustaining a muscle injury in the 2-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday.
He came off the bench against Portsmouth, Millwall, and Ipswich Town, providing two assists in those games, which shows that Philippe Clement has been carefully managing his workload.
Norwich play three games in the space of a week, with Derby on Tuesday and Swansea on Saturday after they just played Bristol City, and it does not make much sense for Toure to start all three.
With the World Cup on the horizon and only a slim chance of play-offs, the Canaries should manage his minutes and rest him for this match, before starting him against the Swans.
The Norwich player who could replace Mohamed Toure
It seems pretty cut and dry that Mathias Kvistgaarden will start as the number nine if Toure is dropped to the bench, as he is the only senior centre-forward option.
The Danish striker started nine successive matches, his longest streak at the club, before the Australian forward came into the side against Bristol City.
That means that the £6.9m signing from Brondby should come into the team against Derby if the decision is made to rest Toure from the start.
Kvistgaarden could play the first hour before the ex-Randers star comes on to use his pace and power to make an impact for the final 30 minutes.
Last chance saloon…
This clash with Derby could be last chance saloon for the Denmark international ahead of the summer transfer window.
Kvistgaarden was signed by Ben Knapper to play alongside Josh Sargent in Liam Manning’s two-striker formation.
It is not his fault that he has struggled as a lone number nine in Clement’s 4-2-3-1 system because it was not the role that he was signed for, and it is not a surprise to see his struggles in recent months.
The Dane has gone ten games without a goal in all competitions since he came off the bench to score from close range against Sheffield Wednesday.
With Toure possibly coming back as a starter against Swansea and a week break before the final game against Hull, this clash with Derby may be Kvistgaarden’s final chance of the season.
Clement will be assessing every player and judging whether or not they are suited to be a part of the squad that will be pushing for promotion next year, which is why these remaining matches are still important.
Kvistgaarden needs to show that he can use his body well enough to hold defenders off to retain possession for the team, whilst also showing more of a clinical edge when he gets the ball in the final third.
If he can produce a brilliant performance and show that he has plenty to offer in a Clement team, it might just save his career at Carrow Road.
The 24-year-old striker has only scored six goals in 33 matches in the league this season, and, hopefully, that will change tonight.
With Makama and Toure ahead of him in the pecking order ahead of next season, something has to change for Kvistgaarden…
