Norwich City should take one transfer approach after Anis Ben Slimane blow | OneFootball

The trust in Anis Ben Slimane is clear, and the Norwich City bosses shouldn't knee jerk a January signing to cover his injury woes.

Anis Ben Slimane has proven himself more than a squad player but the Norwich City chiefs will want to be cautious in bringing in a panic loan due to his current injury.

With reports that the Tunisian international is close to becoming a permanent member of the Norwich squad, it's evident that he's become a key figure in Johannes Hoff Thorup's side.

Slimane has been ruled out for at least a month due to an ankle ligament injury and it's not the first time this season his fitness has kept him on the sidelines.

An injury record such as Slimane's may be cause for concern for some City fans but his past and present performances suggest that a January swoop isn't needed to cover up his absence.

Anis Ben Slimane has become a dependable player for Norwich City

Upon joining the Canaries, sporting director Ben Knapper noted he has a "slightly different profile" to the current squad and summer signings.

He's far more the steely central midfielder type as opposed to the more technical and tricky players like Oscar Schwartau and Amankwah Forson.

It wouldn't be wrong to say that he's not the complete package just yet, with a few wayward passes here and there and a notable failure to make a tactical foul leading to a goal for Middlesborough.

But it's easy to forget that he's only 23 with over 150 club appearances in his career. An experienced player that is still moldable to the demands of management is hard to come by.

Given his previous relationship with Thorup in the academy setup at Akademisk Boldklub, he's a player who will have a long future at Carrow Road provided the manager remains in charge.

Anis Ben Slimane does not need to be replaced this month

Much has been said of Norwich City's squad depth this season, with injuries and suspensions earlier on making it abundantly clear that there are certainly more transfer windows needed to build the squad to where Knapper and Thorup want it to be.

Concern is also floating around over the particular lack of depth of midfielders given the position where most of the Canaries' current injuries are concentrated.

There seem to be just four definite options making up the midfield three for the time being in Emi Marcondes, Kenny McLean, Marcelino Nunez, and Forson, but even so, Knapper should resist the temptation to sign a short-term replacement for the missing midfielder.

Slimane's injury provides the perfect opportunity for Forson to really kick on in his Norwich career. The injection of confidence thanks to his stoppage time heroics against Coventry should not be overlooked, and giving him more minutes can only help further his development.

The short-term absence of Slimane may also free up some space for academy players like Uriah Djedje to fill some space on the bench, allowing them to get to grips with first-team football.

It's certainly a gamble to not bring in some cover for Slimane's absence but Thorup should put faith in his current squad rather than look for a short-term fix.