Striker Pablo Couñago looks set to come straight back into the Town side for Sunday's home derby with Norwich City after completing his three-match ban (KO noon). The Blues are yet to rule out injured trio Shefki Kuqi, Jon Walters and David Norris.

Couñago's return will see either Alan Lee or Danny Haynes drop out of the attack, with boss Jim Magilton most likely to return to the Couñago-Lee combination which did so well earlier in the season. Couñago, whose girlfriend gave birth to their first son Iago last Sunday, has missed the last three games after being sent off for violent conduct at Scunthorpe, the last game which Town won.

Jordan Rhodes, who scored his first senior goal for the Blues against Cardiff on Wednesday, is likely to continue on the bench with assistant manager Bryan Klug, who took Jim Magilton's pre-match press conference after the manager's minor car accident last night, feeling that this is the best approach to take with the 18-year-old at this stage: "Jordan is learning his trade and bits and pieces as a substitute are doing him good.

"At this club we have always had a policy that if you are good enough, you are old enough, but the way manager Jim Magilton is handling Jordan is perfect.”

Kuqi, Walters and Norris will all be assessed today and if they do OK could join in full training with the rest of the squad on Saturday. Kuqi has been out with a hamstring problem, Norris with a heel injury, while Walters recently underwent knee surgery.

Klug says the three are doing well, but that no risks will be taken: "They are all making excellent progress and we will see what the signals are. All are desperate to play and at the moment we have not ruled them out.

"But we don't want to take any risks and will be very careful that the players are 100 per cent right before including them.”

All three appear outside chances for starting places, but one or perhaps two of them could be in with a shout of involvement on the bench, with Kuqi probably the most likely.

Defensively, Magilton could give a recall to David Wright, probably at left-back with Sito dropping out and Danny Simpson continuing at right-back. Jason De Vos and Alex Bruce will be the central defenders with Richard Naylor out for the season having undergone neck surgery last week. Stephen Bywater will continue in goal.

The Town manager again has plenty of choices to make in midfield. Velice Sumulikoski could receive a recall alongside Owen Garvan with Tommy Miller dropping to the bench, while Gary Roberts's return to the side looks likely to be short-lived after the former Accrington man was hauled off at half-time in the Cardiff game.

Derby goal specialist Danny Haynes could move back to the right-hand side with Alan Quinn starting on the left.

After last week's victory at home to Burnley Norwich boss Glenn Roeder said his players were looking forward to Sunday's game: "It's nice to play well and win, which hasn't happened in a few games recently like Sheffield United, Stoke and Bristol City.

"I was not only pleased to score goals, I was really pleased to keep a clean sheet. I thought the defence stuck to their task well and David Marshall was very well protected.

"Now it's on to the derby against Ipswich and the players can't wait. They are itching to get on that bus and go to Portman Road for the game next Sunday."

Darren Huckerby is set to make his 200th appearance for the Canaries, while Jamie Cureton is looking for his 200th career goal in English football. Norwich currently sit 16th in the table, but still only five points from the relegation places.

Recent Canaries loan signing Maceo Rigters, a player reported to be interesting the Blues according to the Dutch press, has returned to Blackburn due to a hamstring injury.

Historically, Town have had the better of the Canaries, winning 38 derbies (36 in the league), drawing 17 (14) and losing 33 (27).

The Blues are unbeaten in four games against the old enemy, drawing 2-2 at Carrow Road earlier in the season, Alan Lee and Pablo Couñago scoring for Town, while the last Portman Road match ended 3-1 with Sylvain Legwinski and Danny Haynes (2) on the scoresheet.

Haynes is one of a number of Town players with Canary connections. The striker went on an unsuccessful trial at Norwich after being released by Charlton, prior to joining the Blues. The decision not to take him on must now be regretted given his regular goals in derbies at all levels in recent seasons.

Town full-back David Wright had a spell on loan with the Canaries when a Wigan player, but redeemed himself by scoring his first Town goal in his first derby appearance for the Blues in a 1-1 draw at Carrow Road last season. Defender Alex Bruce was born in Norwich during his father's spell as a player there, while coach Steve Foley had not long left Carrow Road before he joined Jim Magilton's staff two years ago.

Norwich midfielder Robert Eagle was a schoolboy with the Blues before being released and moving to the Norfolk club.

TWTD issue 91 won't be on sale around the ground but is still available by post here, either via a six-issue subscription or by buying a single copy.

We're starting to put together issue 92 and as ever are after contributions. As the issue coincides with the 30th anniversary of the 1978 FA Cup final, we're after plenty of articles on one of the greatest days in the club's history.

In the current issue of the fanzine, David Huxley writes about his cup final day having travelled over from Holland and we're after more of that sort of thing. Plus any tales from other matches along the way, be they relating to clearing snow at Bristol Rovers, having bricks thrown at you at Millwall or anything else

If you're too young to remember 1978, feel free to give your thoughts on Town's stuttering season or anything else as we still want plenty of the regular stuff in addition to the FA Cup material. Send any articles to philip.ham@twtd.co.uk.

Sunday's referee is Mick Jones from Cheshire, who has shown 116 yellow and five red cards in 39 games so far this season. Jones's last Town game was the 1-0 defeat at Stoke in February during which he sent boss Jim Magilton to the stand after a spat over the home side's use of the multi-ball system. Jones also took control of Town's game at Leeds last season when scores of home fans invaded the pitch in the closing stages.

Probable squad: Bywater, Colgan, Wright, Simpson, Siti, De Vos, Bruce, Wilnis, Garvan, Sumulikoski, Quinn, Haynes, Miller, Trotter, Williams, Roberts, Norris, Walters, Lee, Couñago, Rhodes, Kuqi.

Photo: Action Images

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