Latest team news

Last updated : 01 March 2002 By Tony Scholes

Ian Moore is the big doubt tomorrow having picked up a stomach strain but there is some good news for the Clarets with Gordon Armstrong reporting fit after it was first thought that he would be out for around three weeks.

That leaves us just three players short of a full squad with Tony Grant, Lenny Johnrose and Nik Michopoulos the only players unavailable. The squad was given a boost on Tuesday with the return of captain Steve Davis although whether he will be considered fit enough to start tomorrow is in doubt. Having said that Stan sees him as such an important member of the side that it would be no surprise to see him back.

Whoever does play at the back will have Iwan Roberts to deal with and that is something Steve didn't do too well at Carrow Road back in September when we were beaten 2-1, our first away defeat of the season.

Again it is somewhat difficult to determine what the starting line up is going to be but I do think Stan will start with Davis, I think Robbie Blake will get his first start and I also think he will revert to a 4-4-2 system. My guess is that the starting line up will be: Marlon Beresford, Dean West, Steve Davis, Ian Cox, Lee Briscoe, Glen Little, Paul Weller, Kevin Ball, Alan Moore, Robbie Blake, Gareth Taylor. That would mean no starting place for Graham Branch and Paul Cook. The absence of Branch would come as no surprise after he was once again taken off on Tuesday and Paul Cook has really struggled to get back his place in the side since he returned from Wigan.

Should that be the starting line up then the subs would be selected from: Gordon Armstrong, Graham Branch, Ian Moore, Paul Cook, Brad Maylett and Mark McGregor.

Norwich will have a different looking line up to the one that lost at Watford on Tuesday. In that game they were without three players serving suspensions but all three are available for the game tomorrow. Two of them, Malky Mackay and Phil Mulryne are certain to return to the starting line up whilst Andy Roberts is more likely to be on the bench.

Norwich have three long term casualties in Neil Emblen (hamstring), Zema Abbey (cruciate ligament) and Gaetano Giallanza (cruciate ligament) who are all still a long way from fitness and Mark Rivers picked up an injury against Preston that kept him out at Watford.

Three more were added after Tuesday's defeat. Paul McVeigh and Adam Drury are expected to be fit but goalkeeper Robert Green is definitely out being substituted just after half time. Nigel Worthington had hoped to bring in a loan keeper but with nothing happened he is now certain to hand the first team jersey to former Claret Paul Crichton who came on as a sub for Green at Watford. With just one experienced keeper available they will have youth team player Arran Lee-Barrett on the bench. This is a very different policy from the one being adopted at Burnley now with Luigi Cennamo's inexperience no longer winning him a substitutes place.

Norwich are expected to line up: Paul Crichton, Steen Nedegaard, Craig Fleming, Malky Mackay, Darren Kenton, Phil Mulryne, Darel Russell, Gary Holt, Paul McVeigh, Iwan Roberts, David Nielsen. The subs will be chosen from Arran Lee-Barrett, Brian McGovern, Daryl Sutch, Clint Easton, Marc Libbra, Andy Roberts, Alex Notman and Trevor Benjamin.

For more on Norwich check out the Match Preview