The 14 players set to miss Norwich City v Southampton FC - £8m forward is among them | OneFootball

A plethora of players are set to be absent for the clash at Carrow Road

Southampton and Norwich City are looking to end this current three-game week on a high when the two meet at Carrow Road on Saturday.

The Saints have won both of their games so far this week, coming after Tonda Eckert was confirmed as the club's permanent manager. That took his record to six wins in seven in the dugout following Will Still's sacking, and puts Southampton within a point of the top six before the upcoming round of games.

As for Norwich, it's been better performances under new boss Philippe Clement, albeit without as many wins as Eckert has brought their opponents since his appointment.

However, after Liam Manning lost all eight of his games at Carrow Road during his brief spell at the start of the season, Norwich picked up a win and a draw at home under Clement, and are looking to make it three unbeaten at Carrow Road since his appointment.

It's going to be a big clash between two sides who have had previous Premier League pedigree — but here's who won't be available for the meeting on Saturday lunchtime.

Mads Roerslev

Starting with Southampton, manager Tonda Eckert was questioned immediately about the availability of his players as we head towards the end of a three-game week in his press conference.

First, he revealed that Mads Roerslev still needs some time to recover from the case of Achilles bursitis, which has been affecting him over the past few weeks.

The former Brentford full-back has been missing since Southampton's 3-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday in November, and will miss a sixth straight game this weekend.

Elias Jelert

Next, Tonda Eckert stated that fellow full-back Elias Jelert also needs a little more time to recover, having suffered a quad injury in his first start for the club in a 0-0 draw with Swansea City in October.

Four to six weeks was the initial diagnosis, and despite it being close to two months now since the injury, the Galatasaray loanee is set to make it 11 Championship games on the shelf for the visit to Carrow Road.

Shea Charles

Like Roerslev and Jelert, Tonda Eckert stated that Shea Charles still needed some time to recover from the hamstring injury which has kept him out of action since the end of October.

It's been just over six weeks since the injury, and a 'six-to-seven week' diagnosis provides plenty of hope that the 22-year-old may be back soon, too.

With Eckert believing that the three "need a little bit longer" to recover from their injuries, there'll be some expectation that it won't be long until they're back out playing once again for Southampton.

Ross Stewart

"Ross is still out" were the words from Eckert during his pre-match press conference. The 29-year-old Scot has had a torrid time with injury since making the move to the south coast from Sunderland in 2023, playing just 27 senior games in over two years.

After being fit to start the season, and scoring a brace in the 2-1 win at Sheffield United in one of only two league wins under Will Still, there was hope that Stewart could finally hit the ground running at St Mary's in his third season at the club.

However, he was withdrawn half an hour into the following game against Derby County, and the hamstring injury he picked up means that Southampton fans won't be seeing him until 2026 at least.

Damion Downs

Tonda Eckert has said that Damion Downs has had his first training sessions in the build-up to the Norwich game. He remains a doubt, but could make his return to the side on Saturday after missing the last three games.

The American hasn't made much of a lasting impact so far at St Mary's, but did come off the bench in all four games under Eckert before he picked up an injury, so his return will be warmly welcomed.

Tom Fellows

Finally, the Southampton manager said that they'll be "trying everything to get Tom Fellows ready" for the game on Saturday against Norwich.

The wideman, who joined the club in the summer from West Brom, has started to kick on under Eckert, starting every game under the German and picking up three assists, including for Leo Scienza to open the scoring against his former side on Tuesday.

However, he was withdrawn just after the hour mark with what was said to be a groin issue. Tonda Eckert said that the medical department is working on him, and they'll be doing what they can to ensure that he's fit for the trip to Carrow Road.

Josh Sargent

The main headline of the team news from the Norwich camp is that star striker Josh Sargent is set to miss this weekend's game due to a concussion.

The American frontman was taken off just before half-time in midweek against Sheffield United, and will follow the relevant protocols to get back on the pitch, which unfortunately will rule him out of the visit of Southampton.

Signed for £8 million in 2021, Sargent could make the Canaries more than that if they decide to cash in on him in the near future, but Philippe Clement will be hoping to keep the American around beyond the upcoming January window.

Kenny McLean

Kenny McLean is also another potential casualty from Tuesday's trip to Bramall Lane, as Philippe Clement revealed that it was a "blocked hip" which saw the Canaries captain withdrawn at half-time in the midweek draw.

The Scot is a doubt for the lunchtime game on Saturday, and he would be a big miss in the middle of the park.

Mathias Kvistgaarden

If Sargent is unavailable, Philippe Clement will be hoping that Mathias Kvistgaarden, who missed Sheffield United with a knee injury, will be able to take his place.

The Norwich boss indicated that the Danish forward had trained in the past 24 hours and had seen a knee specialist over the week, and would be a late call for the game on Saturday.

However, caution is clearly being taken, as a similar knee injury had kept him out for six games earlier this season.

Lucien Mahovo

Clement revealed that there are several players back in contention following periods out through injury and suspension, but Lucien Mahovo won't be one of them, despite training on Friday.

That session was the first since he suffered a setback on his return to recovery from major quad surgery, two games after making his first appearances of the season.

Having shown plenty of promise last season under Johannes Hoff Thorup, Canaries fans are eager for him to get back on the grass, but it won't be this weekend.