CHRIS LAKEY Caretaker boss Martin Hunter is set to take charge of the Canaries for the first time - and says there will be no immediate changes to his routine.

CHRIS LAKEY

When caretaker boss Martin Hunter takes charge of the Canaries for the first time he says there will be no immediate changes to his routine.

Hunter - who has already declared his interest in taking the job full-time - will meet up with his players at the Colney training centre for the first time since Nigel Worthington's sacking on Sunday afternoon.

Although it's been a disruptive few days for the players, Hunter says it will be strictly football on the agenda - with the coach taking a depleted squad to King's Lynn to take part in a benefit match for former Norwich player Shaun Carey, who suffered a double fracture of his right leg last month.

“We will be taking training tomorrow morning, we will have a brief meeting before we train, as usual,” said Hunter. “We as a staff will be giving them the same messages and the same instructions as we always do.

“We won't have everyone there because of the international break and a few knocks, but there won't be any changes to our routine.”

Hunter believes the only thing on his players' minds is the next Championship game - rather than who the next manager will be - at QPR a week on Saturday.

“Footballers are a resilient bunch anyway, this is part and parcel of the game and we are simply looking forward to a week on Saturday,” he said.

Hunter is in the frame to replace Worthington, the man who brought him to Carrow Road in the summer, and admits the timing of the international break could have been better.

“It is another chance for us to look at the players in action, but with it being international week we have seven players missing,” he said. “While the match still serves a purpose it would have served a better purpose in a normal week. But we will certainly get some positives out of it.”

Hunter will definitely be without Welsh pair Robert Earnshaw and Carl Robinson, with Paul Gallacher away with Scotland and Youssef Safri with Morocco. On-loan keeper Lee Camp is with the England Under-21s, Rossi Jarvis with the Under-19s and Michael Spillane is with the Republic of Ireland Under-19s.

Also out is midfielder Dickson Etuhu, who missed Sunday's match at home to Plymouth because of an Achilles problem. Central defender Gary Doherty, who is on international standby with the Republic of Ireland, has a slight Achilles problem and is unlikely to feature.

The final travelling squad is likely to be finalised after the training session and while there are a few bumps and knocks too, Hunter insists he will resist the temptation to wrap his best players in cotton wool, although it is unlikely first team regulars will play the full 90 minutes.

“We will take all the squad players that are available,” he said. “Obviously we have people away on international duty and we have some knocks, so we will take what we have left.

“This game is for a good cause. We will honour our agreement for an ex-player.”

Carey will be in attendance, although wife Carolyn is due to give birth any day.

“I might have to leave pretty quickly,” said Carey, who expects his leg to be in plaster for at least another six weeks. “I think it's terrific of Norwich to send a strong team down. Obviously I have got a lot of affection for the club - I really enjoyed my time there. The fans are a loyal bunch and were always good to me and I hope that they will soon be seeing City back where they belong, in the Premiership. It's a Premiership club after all.

“They've had their share of turmoil this week, but hopefully they can find the right man for the job.”

t The match kicks off at 7.45pm, admission £5 for adults, £2.50- concessions, children £1.