Ollie Norburn set to miss Shrewsbury Town's Carabao Cup tie at Middlesbrough as Sam Ricketts refuses to offer return timeframe
Captain Ollie Norburn will not feature for Shrewsbury Town in their Carabao Cup curtain-raiser at Middlesbrough tomorrow as he continues his return from a knee injury.
The midfielder underwent knee surgery before lockdown and spent the months away from Sundorne Castle recovering from the procedure.
Norburn, 27, has returned to contact training but did not feature in any of Sam Ricketts' side's six pre-season friendlies and will not be involved at Championship hosts Boro tomorrow.
Ricketts refused to give a timeframe on Norburn's return or confirm whether the midfielder would be available for the start of the League One season at Portsmouth on Saturday week.
The Town boss said: "Norbs is looking really good, back out on the training field and as with last time we're just easing him in.
"We're gradually stepping it up, not trying to spike his loads to make sure he remains confident as he comes back from injury.
"It'd be too soon for him to be involved tomorrow."
Asked if Norburn had a chance to feature at Fratton Park on September 12, Ricketts said: "I'm not putting any time scales on anything.
"Norbs will be back when he's back and it'll obviously be great to have him back, but we're not rushing anything. It is what it is."
Shrewsbury will also be without fellow central midfielder Josh Vela for tomorrow evening's trip to the Riverside Stadium.
Vela will serve a one-match suspension carried over from last season for the red card he received in the 3-2 Montgomery Waters Meadow defeat against Oxford in March, the final match Town played before the Covid shutdown.
That means new recruit Scott High, who has impressed since coming in on loan from Huddersfield and was on press duties at Sundorne today, could get the opportunity to make his Salop bow.
