Boss Kieran McKenna says the top-of-the-table Blues’ recent record against Norwich City won’t be mentioned in the dressing room in the lead-up to Saturday’s live-on-Sky East Anglian derby against Norwich City at Carrow Road (KO 12.30pm).

Town supporters will need no reminding that Town haven’t beaten the Canaries since April 2009 when a 3-2 home win all but relegated the Norfolk side to League One.

However, Norwich made a swift return from the third tier, then were quickly promoted to the Premier League and have been in the ascendency until this season.

While Town have been at or towards the top of the division all campaign, having made their return to the Championship after four years away, the Canaries’ season had been more of a struggle until recently.

They have lost only two of their last 11, winning seven, but were beaten 3-1 by third-placed Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Monday.

Going into the weekend, Norwich are sixth in the table, four points ahead of Coventry in seventh but with the Sky Blues having a game in hand due to their cup run. They are 23 points behind Town.

While all at Portman Road are well aware of the long wait for a derby win, McKenna says he’ll not be focusing on it with his players prior to the match.

“I don't think it will,” he said when asked if it would be mentioned in the dressing room prior to the match.

“We know the importance of the fixture, we know it's a massive one for the supporters and they'd love to get the win.

“We know Ipswich haven't beaten Norwich in quite a few years, but at the same time, Norwich haven't beaten Ipswich for five years. We were in different divisions, they were in the Premier League and we were in League One, so we didn't play for four seasons.

“So it's not like this group have been losing two games a season to them, it's not like any group at Ipswich in recent times have lost to Norwich either. 

“So we know that for supporters it would be a massive fixture to win and I really trust that every player in that dressing room understands the significance of that.

“We'll give 100 per cent to the team effort on Saturday and that's all that we can give. Hopefully, that will result in a good performance and a good result.”

Quizzed on whether the 23 points between the teams will mean much going into Saturday’s game, McKenna reflected: “I don't think it particularly does in terms of the 90 minutes on Saturday. Of course, it's fantastic we're going in 23 points above and rather than the other way around.

“We're happy with our position and where that leaves us, but you see that every week in the Championship, to be honest.

“I don't know how many points we are ahead of Plymouth or Cardiff or Swansea or Blackburn, but that doesn't mean that it's not a really, really difficult game.

“I'd imagine, if we use the Blackburn example, there’s more than 23 points between the two teams [who the Blues beat 1-0 in a tough game at Ewood Park on Good Friday], but that's the Championship.

“And that's not just for us, that's for the other teams at the top of the division, teams at the bottom of the division.

“The margins are so small, each game is so hard-fought that going into every game the league position certainly doesn't guarantee anything in terms of the flow of the game and definitely not the results. 

“So we know it's going to be a really hard game. We have respect for them as a football team. I think they do a lot of things well. I think [Norwich manager] David [Wagner]’s done a really good job over the course of the season and we know it's going to be a really tough match.

“But I'm sure they know that we have a lot of strengths as a team as well and we're going to make a tough match for them.”

McKenna was asked whether the build-up to the game has to be the same as for any other Championship match.

“I think it's so important to be consistent,” he said. “What we do has served us really, really well - how we prepare for games, how we communicate with the players, how we stick to our processes in terms of our training and trying to keep improving as a team, and that doesn't change for this weekend. 

“We know it's another big game, we've had so many big games, to be honest. Southampton was such a big game and after this one, Watford at home and Middlesbrough at home next week are going to be really, really big games. I think they can all be built up as really big games.

“Of course, it's a derby game and it's special for the supporters and what's special for the supporters is special for the players because that connection is so strong, and they will be full of determination to make our supporters proud on Saturday.

“But other than that, it's one more game in a really busy season and a fantastic season full of big challenges, big experiences and what we've done so far is take those challenges head on and we've had lots of good outcomes and we'll look through the same on Saturday.”

McKenna experienced his first East Anglian derby when the teams met at Portman Road in December, the game ending 2-2, and he is looking forward to this one and the chance to enjoy another famous away day.

“I think these are occasions to relish, especially with how we go into the game,” he said. “With the trajectory of the two clubs in recent times I think this is a game to relish, it's a rivalry to relish.

“We know how important it is to this football club, how important it is to both clubs, so it's something to really look forward to, even going away from home, to be honest.

“In my experience, some of the best wins and best experiences I've been part of are going away to your rivals and putting in a performance and hopefully picking up a result in their home stadium.

“There’s no better feeling than that. I've been involved in a few terrific nights like that and games like that and we'll really endeavour to make Saturday one of those.”

Only four Championship sides have scored more than Norwich’s total of 72 goals this season - Town remain top scorers on 84 - but at the other end only seven teams have conceded more than the 58 they’ve let in over the course of the campaign.

Norwich have the third best home record in the division behind Leeds, 52 points, and Town, 49, having accrued 44 of their overall total of 64 at Carrow Road via 14 wins, two draws and four losses.

They have won their last seven at home and are unbeaten at Carrow Road in 13 in all competitions.

Goals-wise, only Town, Southampton and Leeds have netted more home goals than the Canaries in the Championship and just three sides, Leeds, Leicester and West Brom, have shipped fewer than the 19 they have conceded on their own turf.

Despite their more recent upturn in fortune, McKenna says the Canaries haven’t changed too much from the side his team faced in December.

“They're certainly in good form, but I think they've been a strong side all season, to be honest,” McKenna continued.

“The squad that they have and a good, experienced manager as well, and you would always expect them to do well in the division.

“And they've been in very good recent form, very good recent home form. They’ve got one of the most prolific strikers in the division [Josh Sargent], who's been back fit, who wasn't fit for the early parts of the season, so that makes a difference.

“But I don't see too much change in what they do. I think David's done a good job in terms of bringing stability there, especially with some of the criticism that he probably faced and he's done a really good job of being stable and consistent in what they do.

“So I don't think there's anything drastically different but they are a good side and we'll give them our full respect and we know we're going to have to play really, really well on Saturday.”

While McKenna will try to treat the game just like any other in terms of his preparation, he knows that a victory this weekend will mean more than most wins to fans, particularly after such a long wait for derby success.

“We're fully aware of the importance of it for the supporters, for sure,” he said. “And I think the supporters have given us fantastic backing and the players have given the supporters so many nights to enjoy, so many games to enjoy, so many memories over the last couple of years and we know that winning away to our local rivals would be another fantastic day for them. 

“We can only give what we've given to every game so far this season, which is 100 per cent. We can't give any more than that and I know that's what we will give on Saturday.

“And doing that and sticking to our identity has served us really, really well this season, that's what we look to do on Saturday and it's our real wish that we come out with a good result as well and the fans can really enjoy it.”

The Blues go into the game top, a point ahead of Leeds, who are at Coventry, seventh, on Saturday and two in front of Leicester in third, who host Birmingham with both games kicking off at 3pm.

Does the respective positions of the teams add something further to the derby mix? “I don't think there could ever be extra motivation for this game, but it's probably a different motivation on top of just trying to beat your local rivals.

“We know that in recent times Ipswich has been in League One and Norwich has been in the Premier League, so to be at the point where we both are now, of course, we're happy with that trajectory.

“But we know it's not always a steady road and we've got to continue to work every day fighting every match to try and continue that, and that'll be continued on Saturday.”

McKenna knows the importance of keeping calm in the maelstrom derby atmosphere: “That'll be a big, big part of it, as it is in all games that are externally built-up a little bit more as big games. Maintaining your composure and trying to deliver a performance is a really big part of it.

“I think that's what pleased me about the game in December, because there was so much external noise around that one, it was it was such a big game, it was the first meeting in quite a few years, I was really, really pleased with how we played for most of the game, I have to say. 

“Especially the start of the game, probably the first 30 minutes or so by memory, the way that we just settled into the flow of our game, tried to implement the things that we did every week and and perform to a good level. 

“That was really, really pleasing. Of course, it's harder to do that away from home in any game, but that's what the focus will have to be going into Saturday.”

This Town squad has had plenty of big games over the last couple of years, which McKenna believes will see them in good stead for Saturday.

“I think that serves you well,” he considered. “Again, we internally treat every game the same. Every game is a big game, especially in this division.

“We know the challenge that it is, but you can't shy away from the fact that some games get built-up more around the team, and the boys pretty much all live locally, a lot of them live in the town.

“A lot of them you know have links in the area in the case of the boys who came through the academy, so there's no getting away that a game like this they know that has extra significance around them. 

“But in games where there's been that external pressure, I think they've shown that they can step up really, really well time and again, and we're going to need to see those qualities on Saturday.”

Has he had a few fans reminding him of the derby’s importance in the run-up to the match? “We've been so busy that there's not been too many waking hours that have not been at the training ground over the last couple of weeks and certainly since we came back for Easter.

“So, no, I haven't had too many interactions with Ipswich fans this week, but again I'm in the area, I understand it, and the players do as well, and we feel it, and we'll try our very very best for those supporters on Saturday.”

Vaclav Hladky will be in goal with Leif Davis at left-back and Ipswich-born Luke Woolfenden and Cameron Burgess the centre-halves.

McKenna has a decision to make at right-back with Axel Tuanzebe and Harry Clarke, another Ipswich-born player, both vying for the role.

Skipper Sam Morsy will start in central midfield, probably alongside Massimo Luongo, although Jack Taylor made a very good case for his inclusion having come off the bench against the Saints.

Conor Chaplin is likely to be in the centre of the three ahead of the double pivot with Nathan Broadhead perhaps returning on the left and Omari Hutchinson moving to the right.

If Kieffer Moore isn’t considered fit enough to start, Ali Al-Hamadi will be handed his full debut as the central striker.

Norwich boss Wagner is looking for his team to get back to winning ways after the loss to Leicester on Monday.

“The last game was a disappointing one, we weren't on our best. We didn't do what we wanted to do, we wanted to be better in ball possession,” he told his club’s official website.

“We want to make sure that we do our stuff at the highest level, play to our pattern, our strengths. It didn't work on Monday, that happens, we are humans and that is football.”

Reflecting on Town and their impressive campaign, he added: “They deserve the credit they get for a fantastic season but that doesn't change our aims to beat them.

“They are well-drilled and organised. They have a lot of routines that click together without thinking about it. They have a lot of confidence. Our ultimate aim is clear, and this is a step to reach that. We are looking forward to it.”

Quizzed on whether maintaining the 15-year unbeaten derby record puts extra pressure on his players, Wagner laughed.

“To be totally honest, as much pressure as we already face in this season, I think nobody and nothing can really destroy this group of players,” he said.

“It was a little bit the same noise four months ago when we played them the first time and this doesn’t change.

“This is something which maybe gives it a little bit more flavour in this whole derby at this moment, but at the end of the day, it’s a game, a super-important game, a derby.

“I said this before the first one. In a game like this the league table, the current form, home or away don’t really count.

“It’s a different game, it’s a different situation and I think it’s super-important to be calm but full of energy and full of fire in your heart as well. We dealt with this in the first game quite well.

“The biggest difference, and this is a difference, is that we’re playing at home. This is, for sure, something we’d liked to make count.”

Centre-half Shane Duffy returned from the bench against Leicester following a calf injury, replacing Jacob Sorensen who picked up a hamstring problem and misses out against Town.

Another central defender, Grant Hanley, has been unavailable for eight months with an achilles injury and isn’t expected back until later in the month.

Forward Jonathan Rowe, who scored twice at Portman Road in the 2-2 draw, although with replays suggesting both should have been ruled out for offside, is not yet ready to return from a hamstring problem, while left-back Dimitris Giannoulis is also out with a hamstring problem and winger Onel Hernandez is sidelined for the rest of the campaign with a foot injury.

Historically, the teams are very closely matched, Town winning 42 (38 in the league), losing 41 (35) and drawing 23 (20).

At Portman Road in December, Town’s wait for a derby victory continued after a 2-2 draw, the sixth stalemate in the last nine games between the teams, five of them 1-1.

Broadhead put the Blues in front in the 34th minute, the home side having spurned a number of earlier chances, but Rowe equalised against the run of play five minutes before the break and then put the visitors in front four minutes after the restart.

Wes Burns smashed in a leveller for Town on the hour but the Blues were unable to find a winner in the final half hour.

The teams last met at Carrow Road in February 2019 when two second-half Teemu Pukki goals and Hernandez’s early opener saw Norwich City beat the Blues 3-0.

Hernandez put the Canaries in front in the second minute of a first half which saw Blues boss Paul Lambert and Norwich head of performance Chris Domogalla red-carded after the teams and staffs clashed in the closing stages.

Relegation-bound Town were the better side for much of the second half before Pukki goals on 65 and 81 sealed the win for the top of the table Norfolk side, who eventually went on to win the title.

Town are without a win in 13 derbies - seven defeats, six draws - their last victory having been at Portman Road towards the end of Norwich’s 2008/09 Championship relegation season when they won 3-2 in what proved to be Jim Magilton’s final game as boss.

David Mooney put the Canaries in front before Town struck three times via Alan Quinn, Giovani Dos Santos (penalty) and Jon Stead with Sammy Clingan adding a consolation for the visitors towards the end, also from the spot.

The Blues’ most recent win at Carrow Road was back in February 2006 when an 88th minute goal forced in by a combination of Danny Haynes's hand and Norwich defender Gary Doherty gave the Blues a deserved victory.

The home side had gone ahead in the first half through Jonatan Johansson but the ex-Addick deflected in a Jimmy Juan free-kick soon afterwards.

The highest margin of East Anglian derby victory is 5-0, the Blues having won by that scoreline in 1946 - the first league meeting between the teams - 1977 and 1998.

Town’s biggest defeat was the 5-1 home reverse in April 2011, while the highest-scoring match was the Blues’ 4-3 away win at Carrow Road in February 1968.

John Wark is the leading goalscorer in the derby having netted nine times, while Hugh Curran is Norwich's top scorer having bagged five.

Canaries midfielder Liam Gibbs came through the academy ranks at Town before turning down a new contract and crossing the border in the summer of 2021, the clubs having agreed compensation.

Bury St Edmunds-born Gibbs, whose family are Town supporters, made one League One appearance for the Blues, in addition to two EFL Trophy starts and one sub appearance.

Town loan full-back Brandon Williams, who remains back at parent club Manchester United, spent 2021/22 with the Canaries, making 25 starts and four sub appearances.

The spell ended unhappily with the Manchester United man followed and abused by Canaries supporters after a game late in the season which ended in relegation, the defender subsequently making his thoughts on the matter clear on social media.

Blues assistant manager Martyn Pert is from Norwich and was a youth player with the Canaries.

Similarly, Town’s head of athletic performance Matt Allen was a schoolboy with the Canaries.

U21s coach David Wright had a spell coaching with the Norwich academy before returning to Portman Road, having also had a spell on loan at Carrow Road as a player prior to his playing stint with Town.

A number of other members of the club’s academy and off-field staff, including academy manager Dean Wright and academy head of recruitment Alex Kaufman, previously worked at Norwich.

Saturday’s referee is Matthew Donohue from Manchester, who has shown 135 yellow cards and two red in 29 games so far this season.

Donohue has refereed three previous Town matches in which the Blues are unbeaten, the most recent the 3-1 FA Cup victory at AFC Wimbledon in January in which he red-carded Wombles midfielder Harry Pell for a second bookable offence and also cautioned Tuanzebe, Marcus Harness, George Edmundson and one other Dons player.

He was also in charge of the 3-0 home victory over Hull City in October in which he - unusually judging by his overall stats - kept his cards in his pocket throughout.

Prior to that, Donohue refereed the 1-1 draw at Morecambe in February 2022 in which he booked only Macauley Bonne and Tyreeq Bakinson.

Squad from: Hladky, Walton, Clarke, Davis, Humphreys, Tuanzebe, Woolfenden, Edmundson, Burgess, Morsy (c), Luongo, Taylor, Travis, Ball, Chaplin, Harness, Jackson, Aluko, Hutchinson, Sarmiento, Broadhead, Moore, Al-Hamadi.

Photo: TWTD

WeWereZombies added 22:28 - Apr 4 Is this the first time that Aluko has been in the matchday squad for a while ?
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mathiemagic added 08:58 - Apr 5 A lot could depend on Moore's fitness tomorrow, I hope if he isnt quite right that he is not started just for the sake of it. My team for tomorrow ....... Hladky - Clarke - Tuzanabe - Burgess - Davis - Morsey - Taylor - Broadhead - Chaplin - Sarmiento - Moore (Al-Hamadi if Moore not fit) - Prediction, Norwich to score first Town to win 1-3
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cressi added 10:41 - Apr 5 Mathematics magic Drop Wolf really been superb this Yr will be Burgess and Wolf. Personally Clarke right back with Hutchinson in front of him just gives us so much more. If players are fit my only decision would be Llungo or Taylor.
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bobble added 11:56 - Apr 5 all wins are equally as good, would rather lose 10-0 at norwich but get prpmoted
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Baino added 12:09 - Apr 5 Don't get me wrong, I always want to batter the budgies. However, this one game is about the bigger picture. I want a win, but I want a win for the 3 points. The beating of that mob is the icing on the cake. Having said all of that, come 12.30pm on Saturday I may have a different take on it! Hahaha!
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MK1 added 13:55 - Apr 5 Please, please, please, please, please can we win this one. Would be a fantastic way of saying goodbye to them on our way to the Premier League.
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hyperbrit added 14:11 - Apr 5 hope we don't have to play against 12 men.
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hyperbrit added 14:57 - Apr 5 a good point what is Aluko doing in the squad? Does McK know something we don't?
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Bert added 19:12 - Apr 5 About time we had some derby day luck which has alluded us in the past.
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blueboy1981 added 21:56 - Apr 5 You’ll need to be ‘on it’ one and all 100% for 95 plus Minutes - less and you’ll be punished !!
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leagueonescum added 00:18 - Apr 6 Hladky worries me, he's really uncomfortable on the ball and it looks to be that he's on strict instructions to play out from the back. Leicester turned Norwich over the other day and depending what Town team turns up, I expect us to do the same. We are the better team but again it's just down to mentality and as with any derby, form generally goes out the window. Let's face it though, every game is a cup final now but I believe we can beat anyone after Southampton. COYB!

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hyperbrit added 03:14 - Apr 6 to be afraid of making a mistake is a mistake. Hladky's poor timing reminds me of "captain fist pump" trying to play out from the back losing the ball and conceeding
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Linkboy13 added 09:52 - Apr 6 This is Norwich's biggest game in their history ive even heard they dish out medals when they win. Anyone who watched the Leicester game will know what i mean losing the game they refused to go for an equaliser and just had one thing on their minds the game against Ipswich sad.
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Ebantiass added 11:13 - Apr 6 This will be a tight one, and though I would LOVE us to spank those sucm it would not be the end of the world with a draw at their place.
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