It's no secret Norwich City have got their problems in central midfield.

With Graham Dorrans and Louis Thompson both out injured and Youssouf Mulumbu on African Nations Cup duty, the Canaries have only Jonny Howson and Alex Tettey as senior options for those two sitting central midfield berths Alex Neil likes.

Throw in the fact that Tettey is just one booking away from a two-match suspension after accumulating nine yellow cards and it's clear there is a need to strengthen the heart of the midfield, even if it is on a short term basis.

Enter Jem Karacan.

The former Reading midfielder has been taken on trial by the Canaries and featured in the Under-23s' 4-0 loss at Portsmouth.

Karacan built a reputation as a tough box-to-box midfielder with Reading before leaving the Madejski in the summer of 2015 to sign for his boyhood club Galatasaray.

Unfortunately for the 27-year-old the move didn't work out as the midfielder made just two appearances in Super Lig and was loaned out to Bursaspor for the second half of last season.

Karacan agreed by mutual consent to terminate his contract at the start of this month and is looking to rebuild his career in the Championship.

Karacan certainly has pedigree in the second tier of English football having helped Reading win promotion to the Premier League in the 2011/12 season.

If he can show he still has the ability to keep things ticking in the middle of the park like he did in his Reading days then he would certainly be an asset to the Canaries.

Karacan has also demonstrated throughout his career that he is not afraid of the rough and tumble of the Championship. City fans will remember a challenge he made on Korey Smith in the last minute of a thrilling 3-3 draw at the Madejski Stadium in 2010. The tackle enraged then City boss Paul Lambert so much that he was sent to the stands.

City supporters were furious at the time but few would dispute the Canaries are in need of that kind of midfield bite if they are to make the play-offs.

It will be interesting to see if Alex Neil takes his interest any further.