Canaries midfielder Mark Fotheringham says the international break could prove to be a double-edged sword for City. This weekend's internationals have given manager Peter Grant a rare chance to slow the pace a little - and for players to put their feet up before the trip to Colchester a week on Saturday.

Canaries midfielder Mark Fotheringham says the international break could prove to be a double-edged sword for City.

This weekend's internationals have given manager Peter Grant a rare chance to slow the pace a little - and for players to put their feet up before the trip to Colchester a week on Saturday.

However, while Fotheringham welcomes the rest, he isn't totally convinced the break has come at the right time, coming as it does on the back of successive wins over Birmingham and Stoke.

“I think it's going to be good to get the rest for a few of the lads who have played a lot of games, but in terms of the form we were hitting it's frustrating because we would have liked to have taken that into the next few games,” said Fotheringham, who is wqith City until the end of the season.

“I think we're going to have a few days off and when we come back in we're going to be raring to go for Colchester and then Hull after it. These are two big games for us and our season isn't finished yet. We've got to really kick on now and try and get up this table.”

There may be just three home matches left in the Championship campaign, but Fotheringham will be back at Carrow Road on Friday night to see the Celtic youth side take on City's youngsters in a showpiece friendly to raise funds for the club's Tactic Zone appeal.

Fotheringham began his career as a trainee at Celtic and knows what it will be like for the young players involved and will be a keen spectator when his former youth side come to Carrow Road to take part in a showpiece friendly with City's under 16s.

“It's great,” he said. “I used to get excited when I was in the youth team at Celtic if we had an international week because we used to come down and play against Blackburn and Manchester United and Newcastle and teams like that.

“It's always good to see what the quality of your team is against the English lads. It's good to test yourself. Celtic are probably used to winning everything up in Scotland so it'll be a good test for them to come down here.”