Norwich City will be hoping for €3.5m man to return ASAP - Philippe Clement tried to sign him for Rangers | OneFootball

Jose Cordoba has spent a large chunk of the season out with an injury, and Norwich boss Philippe Clement will be looking forward to his return

Norwich City finally claimed their first home win of the season this past weekend, defeating Queens Park Rangers 3-1, though new manager Philippe Clement will be looking forward to the return of a currently sidelined defender to hopefully prevent the regular leaking of goals.

The Canaries' struggles have been well-documented this season, but having achieved their first home win of the season at the weekend over QPR, City fans will be heading into the new week feeling slightly better and more optimistic.

The appointment of Liam Manning from Bristol City did not go to plan to say the least, with the boyhood Norwich fan taking charge of 17 fixtures for the club, but victorious in only three, and failing to pick up a single point at home at Carrow Road before his dismissal.

Former Monaco and Rangers boss Philippe Clement is now at the helm, and after falling to a disappointing 4-1 defeat away to Birmingham City on his debut, Norwich looked like they were going to claim their first home win of the season against Oxford United, only for Filip Krastev to deny the Canaries all three points in the dying embers.

Their fixture at home to QPR at the weekend was a huge one for the club, and Norwich ran out as 3-1 winners, much to the delight of Canaries supporters, but they are far from safe.

The club still sit in the relegation zone, four points from safety, with only Sheffield Wednesday, who were hit with a 12-point deduction earlier this season, beneath them at this stage.

Clement has a huge job on his hands, but life could be made much easier for him upon the return of Panamanian defender Jose Cordoba, who has missed the last nine games having picked up an injury on international duty.

Philippie Clement will be eager to get Jose Cordoba back fit at Norwich City in a bid to ease relegation fears

Despite their 3-1 victory over QPR on Saturday, obvious holes remain in the Canaries' squad.

Norwich have had rotten luck with injuries this season, with the likes of Anis Ben Slimane, Ante Crnac, Ben Chrisene, Gabriel Forsyth, Jeffrey Schlupp, Liam Gibbs, Lucien Mahovo, Mirko Topic, and Papa Diallo all currently out of action, along with centre-back Jose Cordoba.

Crnac and Topic have both suffered ACL injuries and are likely to miss the remainder of the season, though fortunately for Clement, Panamanian defender Cordoba is expected to be back to action sooner rather than later.

The 24-year-old was signed from Bulgarian outfit Levski Sofia for €3.5 million (£3 million) in the summer of 2024, beating Rangers - who had Clement in charge at the time - to his signature, with Norwich Sporting Director Ben Knapper saying, "He is a player we have been tracking for a long time, and we think he fits really well with what we’re looking for."

Cordoba added upon his arrival, "I see Norwich is like a family, and I was looking for something like that

"The idea of the club and the feeling went directly to me and I felt that I had to make this choice."

Cordoba made 34 appearances in the Championship for Norwich last season as their play-off ambitions faded late on, but has made just six so far this campaign due to his injury, and Clement will be eager to get him fit and firing sooner rather than later.

Shane Duffy, Jakov Medic, and Harry Darling have all struggled at various stages this season, with the former more than most, as Duffy lashed out at fans via X earlier in the campaign, indicative of the Canaries' struggles and need for stability at the back, which Cordoba may help to provide.

And being a left-footer, Cordoba could provide some needed balance to the centre of defence alongside Harry Darling, although Ruairi McConville did impress starting alongside the latter in the QPR win - he too though is a right-footed centre-half, and may not provide the same presence as the currently injured Central American.

Philippe Clement is a known fan of Jose Cordoba, having narrowly missed out on his signature at Rangers before his Norwich City switch

Clement will be no stranger to Cordoba, having been the man who tried to sign him for Rangers in the summer of 2024 before he ultimately chose Norwich over the Glasgow outfit.

The Belgian head coach's familiarity with the defender could prove to pay dividends, as although he has never coached him, he will be well aware of his strengths and weaknesses.

The left-footed defender can inject pace into a relatively leggy back line, especially with Duffy and Medic in there, with Clement having already publicly critcised the team's physical levels following defeat at Birmingham.

Norwich's struggles can be blamed on a number of things this season, with injuries, fitness levels, recruitment, management from the top, and coaching methods all coming under fire from supporters.

If the Canaries can build upon their most recent victory over QPR and get Cordoba back fit, then brighter times may yet be on the horizon in Norfolk.