Ex-West Brom man a Norwich absentee but Canaries boosted by keeper return

Thirteenth-placed Norwich are seven places and eight points off the top six in Danish boss Johannes Hoff Thorup's debut campaign at the helm.

It is below what would be expected of a squad billed as a strong play-off contender before a ball was kicked this term. The Canaries, like the Baggies, ended last season's Championship campaign as beaten play-off semi-finalists, seen off convincingly by Leeds, so much so that David Wagner was relieved of his duties.

Thorup also boasts two attackers who many consider to be among the finest in the division in pacy wideman Borja Sainz and prolific striker Josh Sargent. Spaniard Sainz, with 17, is still the Championship's top scorer, though many of those came before Christmas, and United States international Sargent has 12. The latter's minutes are being managed after more than two months out injured, though he still has eight goals in 10 games.

Availability has hampered the City head coach's debut campaign. Thorup has gone without key players for prolonged period and seldom seen spells not blighted by absentees.

That has continued to this stage of the campaign - and a familiar face will not line up against his former club when Albion visit Carrow Road on Saturday.

“I'm not the one who would say that adversity will kill you as a team. I think it will be the complete opposite,” Thorup said. “I think when we find ourselves in the decisive moments, hopefully at the end of this season, and then definitely next season, we will have learned from it, and we will be better."

Villa's Lewis Dobbin, barely used by Carlos Corberan at The Hawthorns in the first half of the season, was sent out to Norwich in January and had started to catch the eye with two goals in 10 games prior to a season-ending calf injury.

Left-back Ben Chrisene, the summer signing from Villa, also saw his season ended prematurely via a poor Emmanuel Dennis challenge in the recent draw with Blackburn.

That 1-1 result at Ewood Park kickstarted a disappointing four-match spell in which Thorup's men dropped points at home to Oxford and Sheffield Wednesday - a 1-1 draw and 3-2 defeat respectively having led 2-0 in the latter going into the second half.

Norwich have first-choice goalkeeper Angus Gunn back from a hamstring injury and the experienced shot-stopper is likely to return between the sticks to face Tony Mowbray's men.

Others including Lucien Mahovo, Matej Jurasek, Amankwah Forson, Liam Gibbs and Gabe Forsyth have been sidelined recently.

If the Canaries are going to make an unlikely bid to gate-crash seven or more sides above them at this late stage they must begin with a win over the visitors on Saturday.