Sam Byram will miss the start of Norwich City’s season after undergoing a second hamstring operation.

The Canaries’ full-back could be out until the October international break, following on from his season-ending injury against Premier League champions Liverpool in February.

Byram developed a cyst after the initial surgery and a course of injection therapy failed to clear up the issue when he returned to light training.

The 26-year-old is now two weeks into a scheduled 12-week period of recovery, leaving City with Max Aarons and Bali Mumba at present as right-back options for the Championship kick-off.

The former West Ham defender was the pick of Norwich’s Premier League signings, after his £750,000 move from the Hammers, and had also underlined his versatility operating at left back in place of Jamal Lewis.

Eastern Daily Press: Sam Byram has undergone further hamstring surgery over the summer that will see him miss the start of the new season Picture: Paul Chesterton/Focus ImagesSam Byram has undergone further hamstring surgery over the summer that will see him miss the start of the new season Picture: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images (Image: ©Focus Images Limitedwww.focus-images.co.uk+447814 482222)

Byram reported pain in the hamstring following the end of last season, as he tried to step up his recovery, and further medical scans detected the cyst was still causing the defender a problem.

The ex-Leeds trainee had labelled the original injury as ‘being punched in the leg’ when he spoke back in May.

“I just over-stretched with my opposite leg and straight away I felt a sort of popping sensation, I knew it wasn’t good,” he said. “It’s very hard to describe but if I was to describe it, it would be like that feeling of being stabbed or being punched in the leg, it was very strange.”

Fellow defender Grant Hanley is on course to be in contention for the opening weeks of the new campaign, after a similar injury in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Tottenham prior to the ‘Project Restart’ period.

Hanley was in the best form of his Norwich career before the professional game was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic following early season groin surgery.

City’s young back up keeper, Aston Oxborough, could be out for months, however, after suffering a suspected ruptured Achilles ahead of a potential loan move to Salford.

Oxborough caught the eye at Wealdstone last season and was training with the League Two club ahead of a potential loan switch.

Norwich have a number of younger keepers on the books, with Archie Mair already joining National League newcomers King’s Lynn on loan.

City are not believed to be in the market for another addition to join Tim Krul and Michael McGovern for the Championship return, with Welsh Under-19 international prospect Daniel Barden poised to be used in the role of the club’s third choice keeper when required.