Lincoln manager Danny Cowley believes Norwich City's FA Cup draw with Chelsea may put Sean Raggett's Canaries debut on hold.

Eastern Daily Press: Sean Raggett is due back at Norwich City following his loan spell back at former club Lincoln City, which is due to expire come January. Picture: James Wilson/Focus ImagesSean Raggett is due back at Norwich City following his loan spell back at former club Lincoln City, which is due to expire come January. Picture: James Wilson/Focus Images (Image: �Focus Images Limited www.focus-images.co.uk +447814 482222)

But that doesn't spell good news for the Imps boss – with their own hopes for landing the defender back on loan in January seemingly set to bite the dust.

Norwich signed the highly rated 23-year-old centre-back in the summer, allowing the League Two new boys to keep Raggett on loan until the new year.

The defender will return to Colney come January for City's coaching staff to take a closer look at his development.

However, EFL rules allow Raggett to appear for just two clubs this season – in turn meaning an FA Cup appearance for Norwich would rule out any loan move for the second half of the season.

Eastern Daily Press: Sean Raggett completed his move from Lincoln City to Norwich City during the summer - but it now seems unlikely he will make a first-team appearance for the Canaries this season. Picture: Twitter @NorwichCityFCSean Raggett completed his move from Lincoln City to Norwich City during the summer - but it now seems unlikely he will make a first-team appearance for the Canaries this season. Picture: Twitter @NorwichCityFC (Image: Archant)

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And with some Championship and plenty of League One clubs already understood to be keen to give Raggett game-time before the summer arrives, the Canaries could pursue a longer-term view to see how Raggett copes with four months and another step up in level.

That view is compounded by the defensive options currently at the disposal of City head coach Daniel Farke, given Grant Hanley's late summer window arrival added him to a pot that already included Timm Klose, Christoph Zimmermann, Marcel Franke and Russell Martin – for now, at least.

'We'll have to wait and see,' said Cowley. 'Drawing Chelsea is a unique tie for Norwich so it will depend on how they want to go about it. It would certainly be a tough one for Sean to step into for his first game in a Norwich shirt. We'll keep the lines of communication open with Norwich and see how it unfolds.'

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The defending Premier League champions come to Carrow Road on January 6 for their third-round tie, set to be broadcast live on BT Sport. Meanwhile Cowley is already believed to be looking for Raggett replacements.

The centre-back got a taste of Premier League opposition in last season's FA Cup, heading home the winner against Burnley at Turf Moor – before being knocked out at Arsenal in the quarter-finals.

Former Lincoln skipper Dean Walling also told Lincolnshire Live: 'It's a massive call for the management team at Norwich City and I'm not sure if they would chuck him straight in for that game.'

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