Alex Neil has confirmed that Norwich duo Steven Whittaker and Russell Martin have both suffered injuries during pre-season.

Martin has been suffering with a chronic back problem, which hindered him on a number of occasions last season. He flew out to Austria but swiftly had to return in order to have treatment on his back spasms.

The Norwich captain’s future has come into question recently, with some suggesting a move to Brighton & Hove Albion was on the cards. However, Neil has already dismissed that and announced his absence was down to injury.

Speaking to the Eastern Daily Press, Neil said this:

It goes into spasm and tightens up and we just thought it would wear off. We will now get him in to see a specialist and he will probably have an injection in it and that will hopefully calm it down to make him available for us as quickly as possible.

There is nothing he can do out here which is why we have made the decision to send him back. We brought him over with the hope it would release and get better. In this situation it hasn’t. He joined in the first couple of weeks, but in the last week and a half he has been restricted to doing pretty much nothing to be honest. If the injection does its job then generally you would look to three or four days to calm things down and then integrate him from there.

Steven Whittaker is also yet to play a single game so far this pre-season. The right-back signed a new two-year contract with the club this summer, with his old deal due to expire earlier this month.

Whitts fractured one of his toes. He didn’t play in any of the games so far but providing he gets through training he will be available for Saturday to play.

The Scotsman fell out of favour last season, but could play a big part in the upcoming Championship campaign.