For the first time in quite a while, Daniel Farke gave a positive injury update when he spoke to the assembled media at Colney on Friday lunchtime.
Speaking ahead of Saturday`s game at Carrow Road against Sheffield Wednesday(5.30pm) Farke told the press that Marley Watkins, Tom Trybull and Cameron Jerome have all trained fully and are back in contention for the Owls` visit, having missed quite a lot of game time lately due to various knocks and niggles.
There`s also good news surrounding the returns of Jamal Lewis and Alex Tettey who are both back in full training, although this game will come too soon for them. However, both should be available for the Leeds game.
It certainly sounds as though Daniel Farke has a pretty full deck with which to play, for a change. That`s all good news as City look to end a run of 7 games without a win.
In terms of what we can expect, recent results suggest to me that this will be a tight game. Wednesday have drawn their last four games and we can`t score for toffee. Having said that, they do of course have Gary Hooper who has been involved in 12 goals this season so far (10 goals and 2 assists). As Michael bailey wrote about in his column for the EDP today (I`m in agreement that) he was never used correctly while wearing Canary yellow but neither was RvW – begs the question why we bought two of those types of players at all? You can read Michael Bailey`s column here
Wednesday sit just three points ahead of us at time of writing, which underlines perhaps how much their expensively assembled squad has underachieved this term. When you look at our form, it certainly looks that way to me. Having said that, the Owls have injury problems with Tom Lees, Fernando Forestieri, George Boyd and Sam Hutchinson all out.
Both managers are going to be feeling a bit of pressure at their respective teams` poor performances. Carlos Carvalhal will perhaps be more under pressure than Daniel Farke, who has the backing of the Canary board to the hilt, as the Owls were tipped for a promotion challenge last August but a win would lift the spirits of both.
Daniel Farke has played down any talk of promotion, as has Stuart Webber, from the off but he will be acutely aware of the need to end this winless run, our worst outside of the Premier League since 2009.
With the game live on Sky TV and after the football we`ve had served up to us, I know a couple of mates who have decided to stay at home and watch from the comfort of their homes while the rest of us freeze in what are likely to be sub-zero temperatures. If you`re going, make sure you dig out your big coat and let`s hope there`s something to warm us up on the pitch.
My optimism has returned a little and I`m going for a home win (“you fool”, I hear you cry) 2-1 with Gary Hooper naturally getting one for Wednesday.
OTBC