Norwich City

Rob Butler
BBC Radio Norfolk

Players from Norwich City men's and women's teams made a special festive visit to the James Paget hospital in Gorleston.

Hope Strauss, Olivia Cook, Emi Marcondes, Oscar Schwartau and Ben Chrisene handed out presents and spent time with patients and staff on Wednesday afternoon.

Marcondes told BBC Radio Norfolk that the visits are important to him and his team-mates.

"It's heart-warming to come here and light up their faces, at least for a few hours," he said.

"We know it's tough for them so to be able to be in a position where we can make a little difference is a great feeling.

"I feel privileged to be capable of doing that, that's a very good part of the job of being a footballer."

Image source, Getty Images

Norwich City boss Johannes Hoff Thorup believes his side now carry a threat down both flanks thanks to the form of Jack Stacey.

He has provided three assists in the last two games, in which the Canaries have scored 10 goals, and Thorup told BBC Radio Norfolk: "There is a fantastic mentality in him. We have been able to find a good position for him where he gives us that threat down the right side.

"At the beginning of the season, we were too left-sided, created too few chances down the right side, but now with Jack in, we are starting to see more assists and goals from the right as well."

Striker Ante Crnac agreed with Thorup's assessment, saying: "Jack is unbelievable. Except for (top scorer) Borja (Sainz), he was the second best player this week. In both games, he played really good."

Norwich are next in action away to QPR on Saturday.

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It is one of the most eagerly anticipated dates in the football calendar as Premier League and Championship clubs join the FA Cup action from round three.

The draw will take place on Monday, 2 December from 19:00 GMT and can be watched live on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.

Image source, BBC/Getty Images

Rob Butler, BBC Radio Norfolk

Norwich City play Luton Town in the Championship on Saturday (15:00 GMT) with the Canaries looking to follow up a remarkable 6-1 win over Plymouth Argyle in their last game.

City head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup faced the media on Thursday - here are some of the key points from his news conference:

• Midfielder Liam Gibbs is having a medical scan on Thursday - he has a hamstring injury and is likely to be out for the next 10 weeks

• Thorup says striker Ashley Barnes came through his substitute appearance against Plymouth without any issues. The former Burnley man was playing his first minutes of the season following a long injury lay-off

• Chilean midfielder Marcelino Nunez is fit again and available for selection

• Defender Jose Cordoba could feature against Luton but is more likely to return from injury against QPR on 7 December

You can listen to full live commentary of Norwich v Luton with BBC Radio Norfolk FM and DAB on Saturday, coverage begins at 14:00 GMT.

Image source, Rex Features

Norwich City defender Callum Doyle said the 6-1 win over Plymouth was the perfect way to end a run of seven games without victory.

The Canaries blew Argyle away at Carrow Road to move up to ninth in the Championship table on Tuesday night.

"The fans were buzzing with that one, as is the team as well," Doyle told BBC Radio Norfolk.

"It's just what we needed going into the next few games with high confidence now.

"We had loads of chances - that's what we said in the dressing room at half-time. But it was good coming out second half, putting them away and putting the game to bed."

The visitors briefly pulled a goal back to reduce the deficit to 2-1 shortly before half-time after Norwich lost the ball in their own half.

But Doyle said their style of play means mistakes like that may happen sometimes and believes they recovered well to win the game.

"With how we play, there is always going to be a risk of losing the ball on the edge of our box," the Manchester City loanee added.

"But I think after that goal, we sorted it out. We sussed out their press really well and came out in the second half and showed that. It's risky business but it paid off."

Doyle also hopes it will send a message to the rest of the Championship after such an emphatic margin of victory. Norwich host Luton Town at Carrow Road on Saturday.

"I think other teams are going to look at that score now and for us, it's that confidence boost going into next week against Luton, which is really good," Doyle said.

Image source, Rex Features

Norwich City head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup says Kenny McLean will "bring a presence" when he returns to the squad to face Plymouth Argyle on Tuesday.

The Canaries captain has missed the past four Championship matches after being sent off in their 3-3 draw with Middlesbrough last month.

The Scotland midfielder had started all 12 of Norwich's Championship fixtures prior to his ban and, in his absence, Thorup's side have lost three and drawn once.

"The impact Kenny has on the group is something you cannot underestimate - he's a great captain on the pitch for us," Thorup told BBC Radio Norfolk.

"Obviously what Kenny gives us with his technical ability, his tactical ability and the way he can dictate a game for us (is important) but also just his presence and for the way we want to play, he's the perfect midfielder for us so playing without him isn't ideal."

Norwich will also have striker Ashley Barnes available for the first time this season as they look to end a seven-match run without a win.

Barnes has been out with a complex calf injury since May, sustained in their play-off semi-final defeat to Leeds United.

Image source, BBC Sport

Norwich are now without a win in their past seven games following a 2-2 draw at West Bromwich Albion at the weekend and have slipped to 13th in the Championship table.

On Tuesday evening, they welcome a Plymouth side who produced more late heroics to salvage a point in a 2-2 draw of their own against Watford at Home Park on Friday night.

• Norwich have won four of their past five league games against Plymouth, though their other game was a 6-2 defeat in September 2023.

• Plymouth Argyle have lost 15 of their past 20 away league matches against Norwich City (W2 D3), losing each of the past three.

• Norwich lost their past home league game against Bristol City (0-2) and could lose successive such games for the first time since November 2023.

• Plymouth are winless in their past 10 away league games (D2 L8), though one of those two draws came in their most recent such game against Derby (1-1).

• Plymouth's Morgan Whittaker has scored more goals against Norwich than he has against any other side in the Football League (4), all of which came last season (three in September, one in March).

Rob Butler
BBC Radio Norfolk reporter

Norwich City head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup has been speaking to the media ahead of the Canaries' Championship game against Plymouth Argyle on Tuesday (19:45 GMT).

City drew 2-2 with West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, a result which ended a run of three defeats in a row.

Here are some of the key points from today's press conference:

• Defender Jose Cordoba will miss the next two games with a knee injury. Thorup hopes he will be back for the trip to QPR on 7 December

• Midfielder Marcelino Nunez is on his way back from injury and could be fit for Saturday's game at home to Luton Town

• Striker Ashley Barnes is fit and will be involved in Tuesday's squad, for what will be his first appearance of the season, most likely from the bench

• Captain Kenny McLean returns from suspension for Tuesday's game. Thorup describes him as "one of the best midfielders in the league"

You can listen to full live commentary of Norwich v Plymouth on BBC Radio Norfolk via FM and DAB. Coverage begins at 19:00 GMT on Tuesday.

Brent Pilnick
BBC Sport England

Image source, Rex Features

Plymouth Argyle will fly to their Championship away match at Norwich City on Tuesday.

The 700-mile round-trip is one of the longest away journeys Argyle face this season - only Sunderland is further.

It takes around an hour for a flight from Exeter airport to Norwich, rather than around eight or nine hours in a coach.

The team will fly up on Monday and return on Wednesday for the game, which kicks off at 19:45 GMT on Tuesday.

"We had to be in the air by 11pm after the game, and there was no way we'd have done that, so we're going to stay over and then fly back Wednesday morning," head coach Wayne Rooney said after his side's 2-2 draw with Watford on Friday.

"It's good for us to be flying, but whether it was flying or by coach, we have to prepare right and make sure we do the best to try and get a result."

Image source, Getty Images

Norwich full-back Jack Stacey says he feels in good shape after starting for the first time in 11 league matches.

Stacey returned to the side after being displaced by youth academy graduate Kellen Fisher and provided an assist for Emiliano Marcondes in the 2-2 draw with West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

"Yeah its nice, as a professional footballer all you want to do is play, you would worry if that wasn’t the case," he told BBC Radio Norfolk.

"All you can do, when you’re out the team, is make sure when your opportunity comes.

"Physically, I felt good today and it's just nice to be back on the pitch."

The 28-year-old was also full of admiration for new first-team coach Jack Wilshere, who joined the club last month.

"To be fair when I was playing with Jack [at Bournemouth] he was coming towards the end of his career and you could see that he would go into coaching.

"I was shocked, obviously he had such a good career, but when he came in he was so humble.

"He spoke to everyone exactly the same and that’s exactly what he’s delivered here as well so it was great for him to come in - you can see he has a bright future ahead of him as a coach."

Image source, PA Media

Norwich City head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup is beginning to see the club's lengthy injury list clearing up.

The Canaries have lost their past three Championship matches and visit fifth-placed West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

"It's looking better, slowly we are getting there," Thorup told a pre-match press conference.

"Ashley Barnes, Liam Gibbs, Onel Hernandez and Christian Fassnacht are all back which creates a different scenario leading into the games because we have options and more players available."

The Norwich boss has also been boosted by the return of goalkeeper Angus Gunn who has missed the past six games after sustaining a rib injury in the 4-0 win over Hull City in October.

"He's an important player for us and before the injury he was performing at a high level so it was not good for anyone to have the injury so it's good to have him back," added Thorup.