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Norris Back at Plymouth for the First Time
Norris Back at Plymouth for the First Time
Friday, 24th Oct 2008 11:11

Midfielder David Norris is expected to return to the side as the Blues take on Plymouth for the first time since the 27-year-old left Home Park in January for a fee of around £2 million. Norris is likely to take a place in the centre of Town's midfield.

Norris, rested against Nottingham Forest in midweek, has grown in influence since returning from the latest of two heel injuries which hampered him after joining the Blues. Against Swansea last week he was most people's man of the match.

A fans' favourite at Home Park, the man known as Chuck says he and his new team-mates aren't anticipating an easy afternoon: "It's true, we're all expecting a really tough ride on Saturday.

"Some of the lads in the side who've played against Argyle at Home Park before I joined, told me how much they hated having to go there.

"They said 'it's a long, long way to find a team in your face every minute of the match and the fans on your backs, too'.

"And given that the manager [Paul Sturrock] is absolutely brilliant at making his team hard to beat, it'll be the same again for us on Saturday.

"But, of course, I'll be putting in 100 per cent for Ipswich to try and get the points to move us up the league."


Norris is likely to be part of a five-man midfield with Owen Garvan also a probable starter and Tommy Miller, Veliche Shumulikoski and Iván Campo all also vying for the three central roles.

Jon Walters and Alan Quinn look to be certain starters in the wide positions, while Pablo Couñago or Jon Stead are likely to take up the lone striking role. The other will probably be introduced as a sub at some stage, while Kevin Lisbie and Danny Haynes will also hope for some involvement.

At the back, Richard Wright will probably continue in goal, while Ben Thatcher is still a few weeks away from a return at left-back. That means David Wright and Moritz Volz will probably continue as the full-backs with Gareth McAuley and Richard Naylor the most likely central pairing, although Alex Bruce will hope for a role.

Pim Balkestein could be amongst the subs, while Tommy Smith is out until March with his broken ankle. The Town squad fly down to the South-West on Friday afternoon.

Plymouth, who currently sit eighth in the table on 18 points having won three and drawn one of their six matches at home, are expected to be without defender Mat Doumbe, who has a badly bruised foot and is likely to be replaced by David McNamee, who suffered a torn calf muscle earlier in the season.

However, manager Paul Sturrock says Doumbe will be assessed as close as possible to the game as he looks to field an unchanged line-up: "We'll give Mat every opportunity to prove his fitness.

"McNamee is a consideration, obviously he's come back into the plans. Now we'll just have to see whether it's too early or not.

"But I won't be straying far again but I might tinker with positioning due to Ipswich's style."

Striker Emile Mpenza, whose agent revealed talks with the Blues over the summer, is unlikely to play fur to a knee injury.

Aside from Norris, there are no other ex-Pilgrims in the Town squad, although Town chief scout Steve McCall was a player, coach and caretaker-manager with Argyle.

Former Town loanee Simon Walton is currently with Plymouth, having signed from QPR in the summer for £200,000, but has not been in Paul Sturrock's side since September.

Over the years Town have had the better of Plymouth, winning 18 games between the sides (17 in the league), losing 10 (10) and drawing 13 (13).

Last season, the Blues drew 1-1 at Home Park in August with the goals coming via Alan Lee and a late controversial Sylvan Ebanks-Blake penalty. Earlier, Fabian Wilnis had been shown his second red card in the fixture in successive years by referee Kevin Friend who had taken control of both matches.

At Portman Road in January the teams played out a 0-0 draw with Norris rested by Paul Sturrock with his move to the Blues imminent.

Saturday's referee is Pat Miller from Bedfordshire, who has shown 21 yellow and three red cards in eight games so far this season. Miller's last Town match was the 4-1 home defeat to Stoke in April 2006.

Likely squad: R Wright, Supple, Volz, D Wright, McAuley, Naylor, Bruce, Balkestein, Garvan, Campo, Norris, Miller, Shumulikoski, Quinn, Couñago, Stead, Lisbie, Haynes.


Photo: Action Images



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