Burnley
Blackburn Rovers
Coventry City
Derby County
Leeds United
Luton Town
Middlesbrough
Millwall
Norwich City
Portsmouth
Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield United
QPR
Norwich City secured their first Championship win of the season after they secured a 2-1 victory over Portsmouth at Fratton Park.
The Canaries built off their win against Watford in the Carabao Cup with that away win, with Norwich now looking forward to a season under Liam Manning, with fans hopeful they can achieve a play-off finish.
Josh Sargent scored the important second goal in the victory, demonstrating just how imperative it is to get the American striker playing well, something Jakob Wright believes is key to their success.
While it is important to hold onto the services of Sargent, Liam Manning is hoping Shane Duffy will leave the club before the end of the summer transfer window.
Having announced that plan, Liam Manning has announced plans for a striker valued at £6 million.
- READ MORE: David Wagner’s honest admission on the match at Norwich City coaching ‘no longer appealed’ to him
Norwich City’s plans for Matej Jurasek
Matej Jurasek joined Norwich City from Slavia Prague in January but has yet to play more than 90 minutes for the Canaries since his £6 million move from the Czech Republic.
While it is understood that he has missed game time due to requiring surgery for an injury on a minor hernia, Liam Manning has confirmed that the attacker is part of his plans with the Pink Un.
He said: “It’s a tough one on Matej, to be fair, because his level in training, especially the last few days (before Portsmouth), was really, really good.
“As much as I’d love to pick everybody, because it would make my life 10 times easier, I can say he’s very much in our plans and our thoughts. He’s just someone that we’re pushing.
“You have to understand that he missed a large period of time, so the level that we’d all love him to come back at becomes quite difficult. He’s pushing hard, and he worked really hard at Watford.
“He’s someone who has got some attributes I really like. Matej is very much part of it, and when the right time you’ll see him.”
Matej Jurasek’s life at Norwich City
It has not been plain sailing for the attacker since joining Norwich City; however, it appears that he may be about to turn a corner and become a key part of Manning’s squad.
There has been a frustration within some of the Canaries’ fan base that they spent so heavily on a player that had been viewed as someone for the future, with previous manager Johannes Hoff Thorup stating that exact point.
He was highly thought of by sporting director Ben Knapper, who described him as a player who was a ‘perfect fit’ for Norwich, and an individual with a ‘high ceiling’ with the club website.
Speaking to the Pink Un in April, he said: “He’s struggling 100pc with the intensity and the physicality of the league, but at the moment, there’s no injury for us to find.
“So, is the timing right? We have to be very, very careful about it. We’re all frustrated about the situation, and he is probably the one who is most frustrated about the situation, but we simply need to find the right timing for us to bring him on. I hope it’s Friday, but I’m probably not too optimistic about it.
“I’m also frustrated about the situation, because of course we’ve signed a player from another country, from a good club with big potential and also quality.
“He’s still struggling with fatigue in his body, he’s still struggling to get through training sessions for us, and my best answer to you will be that he’s probably not, body-wise, ready for the physicality in the league yet.”
Manning, Jurasek and fans will now be hopeful that they can get the best out of the player for the upcoming season and that he has put these struggles behind him.