Mohamed Toure 'out for months' and doubtful for Asian Cup

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/toure-mohamed/SfbYnjVB/"]Toure[/a] needed medical assistance to leave the pitch during [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/norwich/Qo6off6p/"]Norwich[/a]'s 3-4 home loss to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bolton/Or1bBrWD/"]Bolton Wanderers[/a], checking out of the match just 15 minutes into the first half and ten minutes after opening the scoring for the Canaries.[/p][p]The 22-year-old had already been ruled out of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/australia/xSrf6qMM/"]Australia[/a]'s two upcoming friendlies against Brazil in Townsville and Brisbane, but Norwich head coach Philippe Clement told the media at a local community event in Norwich on Tuesday night local time that the injury was serious. [/p][p]"[b]It's a bad one,[/b]" Clement said. "[b]Mo Toure will be out for months and he will need surgery.[/b]"[/p][p]Toure had amassed five goals in his last five Championship appearances for the Canaries and had established himself as one of the premier strikers of the competition, with no player scoring more than his 14 Championship goals since he made his debut for the team in early February.[/p][p]That outstanding record came even despite missing six rounds of the 2025/26 season with a groin injury.[/p][p]Despite not scoring for the Socceroos at the recent FIFA World Cup or either of their two warm-up matches, and a September 2025 double away to New Zealand being his only goals in 12 international appearances, Toure's red-hot club form was keeping him at the top of the list for Socceroos boss Tony Popovic in terms of starting strikers. [/p][embed guid="b70b5fa2-19b8-46fd-a3d8-f29e494b9060" url="https://x.com/Socceroos/status/2101806899247378569" social-type="twitter" /][p]An estimated recovery timeline for Toure cannot be established until the result of his surgery is clear, but Clement's prognosis of "months" puts Toure in doubt for the January 2027 AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia. [/p][p]This month's two Queensland friendlies against Brazil gives Popovic the chance to effectively hold an audition for a potential Asian Cup replacement for Toure, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sporting-cp/tljXuHBC/"]Sporting Lisbon[/a]'s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/irankunda-nestor/OdWRR5EU/"]Nestory Irankunda[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/machida-zelvia/CUSC1dab/"]Machida Zelvia[/a]'s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/yengi-tete/YTFoCLya/"]Tete Yengi[/a] competing for the number ten role. [/p][p]Yengi could be a potential bolter to start for the Socceroos after scoring an AFC Champions League 2 goal for his Japanese club just days before landing his first assist of the season, whilst he also impressed with a strike against Switzerland in a pre-World Cup friendly.[/p][p]The Socceroos are set to take on Brazil this Thursday in Townsville and again in Brisbane next Tuesday.[/p][infobox id="d39bc573-b9dd-4b87-acb9-2de1f22d36c7" /]