Josh Sargent admits it himself. When he returned from his latest injury, he wasn’t quite sure what player would be returning. He’d spent three months away due to a groin injury and subsequent surgery. He’d dealt with injuries before, of course, but Sargent admits this time, he felt different and there were some doubts.
“You still get those nerves, those thoughts,” he said according to The Pink Un. “Can I still do what I was doing before?’ Especially with injuries, you never know how you’re going to be afterward if you’re still going to feel it or whatnot. So it’s obviously a thought in the back of my head, but I try to push it away and remember all the good times I’ve been having out on the pitch.”
Those doubts quickly faded. Sargent wasted no time rediscovering his form, especially in front of goal. Since returning to Norwich City’s lineup on Jan. 25, he has scored four goals in three matches, boosting the Canaries’ push for a promotion playoff spot.
His resurgence comes at a crucial moment. With teammate Borja Sainz — the Championship’s leading scorer — suspended due to a spitting incident, Sargent has stepped up, proving he can be one of the league’s top strikers. With Sainz set to return soon, Norwich will have two prolific scorers to fuel their Premier League push.
On the other side of the Atlantic, U.S. Mauricio Pochettino, too, will be watching on with a smile on his face. An injury crisis has heavily-impacted the U.S. men’s national team’s striker pool, leaving Pochettino without two go-to forwards in the attack. Neither Ricardo Pepi nor Folarin Balogun will be available to lead the line in March’s CONCACAF Nations League semifinals and, if all goes well, the final. Sargent, if all goes well, will be that guy.
Sargent’s return from injury and subsequent surge have come at the right time as he has the chance to lead the way for both club and country over the next few weeks.