Norwich City striker Josh Sargent has been included in the US squad for the Copa America despite missing warm up friendlies with a foot issue.

Sargent was sidelined for nearly four months of the Canaries’ Championship campaign following ankle surgery, yet fired City into the top six with 16 goals in 26 league appearances.

But the 24-year-old was hampered again by an ankle problem in the play-off semi-final tussles against Leeds, and had missed his country’s recent friendlies against Brazil and Colombia.

However Sargent has made the final 26-player cut announced on Friday afternoon. The US face group games against Bolivia (June 23), Jose Cordoba’s Panama (June 27) and Uruguay (July 1) in the tournament, hosted in 13 cities across America.

The City striker has scored five international goals in 23 caps and led the line at the World Cup in 2022.

But Sargent had to miss the Nations League final win over Mexico in March as he managed his comeback from a long term ankle injury.

Head coach Gregg Berhalter had admitted in recent days they were monitoring Sargent’s training load in a bid to be fit for the prestigious tournament on home soil, which features the likes of Brazil and world champions Argentina, along with Marcelino Nunez's Chile.

“He’s had a nagging foot injury,” he said. “We’ve been unloading him, then giving him some more and then we’ve been testing him, just to see where he’s at. And for us, it’s about how do we get him ready and prepared in a good way, and then make a decision if he’ll be available.”

Coventry striker Haji Wright, Folarin Balogun and Christian Pulisic are some of the other forwards named in the US squad.

Berhalter’s team were hammered 5-1 by Colombia but drew 1-1 with Brazil earlier in the week.

Should the US go all the way to the Copa America final, Sargent would be on international duty until July 15. 

Norwich City's squad is set to return back to Colney for pre-season training at the end of June.