NORWICH CITY BOOKED their place in the last 16 of the FA Cup at the expense of fellow Premier League side Burnley on Saturday.
From an Irish perspective, what was notable about the Canaries’ 2-1 win was the absence of the player whose hat-trick helped them to advance to the fourth-round tie at Turf Moor.
Republic of Ireland U21 international Adam Idah scored three times for Norwich in their 4-2 third-round victory away to Preston North End.
As injured duo Teemu Pukki and Josip Drmic remained sidelined, Idah retained his place to make his full Premier League debut at Manchester United a week later.
With Pukki and Drmic returning to full fitness, however, the 18-year-old striker hasn’t featured in the Norwich squad since the 4-0 defeat at Old Trafford on 11 January.
After playing no part in the Premier League fixtures against Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur, the Corkman was left out again for the weekend’s trip to Burnley, as his club reaped the rewards of his sizeable contribution in the previous round.
While explaining the logic behind Idah’s omission, Norwich City manager Daniel Farke told reporters that Idah could justifiably feel hard done by.
“It felt a bit harsh on Adam because he was crucial at Preston,” he said, as reported by the Eastern Daily Press. “It was just due to the strength of my strikers if I am honest. We had a strong group. Just two changes from the Tottenham game in terms of the travelling squad.
“We needed a winger option on the bench with no Todd Cantwell or Emi Buendia available. Josh [Martin] had produced some good performances for the U23s and in training, and I needed a winger option. So the only other change was Mario Vrancic coming back in for Ibrahim Amadou, who was injured.
“It felt a bit harsh but we wanted to go to the next round and that is why our red hot striker Teemu Pukki was on the bench. But he had started the last two games after coming back from injury, two games in five days, so we could use him for 30 or 40 minutes. Then with Josip [Drmic] starting I didn’t need another striker option.
“So harsh on Adam but he is in my thoughts and we have created some space for him to allow Dennis Srbeny to go. At 18, he is the third striker at Premier League level. Not a bad position to be in. I am happy with him. He is a great lad.”
Idah has been linked with loan moves away from Norwich during the January transfer window, which closes on Friday. Championship side Charlton Athletic and League One outfit Doncaster Rovers are both reported to be interested in the youngster. However, Farke appeared to rule out the possibility of a temporary exit earlier this month.
Norwich’s next outing is a Premier League trip to Newcastle United on Saturday, when the Carrow Round outfit – who sit at the bottom of the table – will be looking to boost their hopes of avoiding relegation.
Idah, who extended his Norwich contract last summer until 2023, scored five times while winning 11 U21 caps for his country last year.
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