Matthieu Louis-Jean will be hoping to take another step along the road to a first team comeback this evening when Norwich City Reserves play their first home fixture of the season.

Matthieu Louis-Jean will be hoping to take another step along the road to a first team comeback this evening when Norwich City Reserves play their first home fixture of the season.

The French defender returned to action after more than nine months on the sidelines with a hamstring problem earlier this month when the Canaries opened their Pontins Holidays Combination campaign with a 2-1 victory at Oxford.

He played for the final 30 minutes in that game and came through the test with flying colours. Now he faces the challenge of starting a match and if everything goes to plan he will play for an hour against Leyton Orient Reserves at Carrow Road before being withdrawn for the fray.

“It's a case of bringing Matthieu along gradually,” explained reserve coach Keith Webb. “We have to be careful with him because he has been out for a long time.

“He just needs that extra bit of sharpness which you can only get by playing games.”

Once again Louis-Jean will be the senior professional in an extremely young Norwich side, with manager Nigel Worthington deciding against risking the likes of Paul McVeigh, Leon McKenzie, Peter Thorne or Ian Henderson. The second oldest player on view will be 20-year-old Ryan Jarvis, with the remainder of the squad in their teens.

Norwich City Reserves (from): Lewis, Louis-Jean, Bexfield, Fisk, Halliday, Spillane, Smart, Martin, El Ouargui, Ryan Jarvis, Eagle, Muddel, Eames, O'Toole, Arnold.

Kick-off: 7.30pm.