Sighs of relief all round as City get positive Maddison news

James Maddison does not need surgery on his knee injury, suffered early in Norwich City's final game of the Champinship season at Sheffield Wednesday. Picture: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images ©Focus Images Limited www.focus-images.co.uk +447814 482222

Norwich City and James Maddison can breathe a sigh of relief, after the midfielder’s knee scan came back with good news.

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James Maddison's Norwich City season deserved far more than the injured ending it got at Hillsborough. Picture: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images James Maddison's Norwich City season deserved far more than the injured ending it got at Hillsborough. Picture: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images

The England Under-21 international lasted just 11 minutes of the Canaries’ final-day thrashing at Sheffield Wednesday, going down and twisting his knee before emerging after the game on crutches with the joint in a brace.

From there, fans and those at Carrow Road had feared the worst – primarily an injury that would sideline Maddison for the entirety of pre-season and the summer transfer window: a potentially pivotal few months as Norwich City adjust to life after Premier League parachute payments.

However, City and their 21-year-old talent received the news everyone wanted to hear following his scan – that the ligament damage was not serious, does not require surgery and Maddison will be out for what is believed to be about eight weeks.

That means City’s top scorer and player of the season last term will be fit to feature in the majority of their pre-season schedule ahead of next season.

“James has had an outstanding season, with 15 goals and eight assists to his name,” said sporting director Stuart Webber.

“To get this injury in our very last game is really bad luck for him but he’s a positive, dedicated young professional and he will be working hard with everybody’s support to get back to full fitness as soon as possible.

“On a positive note the injury is not as bad as we had first feared it might be and thankfully no operation is needed. All being well, James will be fighting fit and ready to come back early in our pre-season schedule.”

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Maddison has scored 16 goals from his 51 Canaries appearances since joining from Coventry in January 2015 – 15 of them coming in a stellar 2017-18 campaign, that saw the Sky Blues academy product build his reputation far beyond the reach of his current and previous club.

The midfielder is contracted to City until at least 2021 but with almost the entire Premier League believed to be keen on signing the playmaker and the Canaries in need of plugging a £20m funding gap heading into the summer, it seems unlikely Maddison will get the chance to repeat his efforts at Carrow Road throughout next season.

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