Norwich midfielder David Fox insists the Canaries must strike a psychological blow over their Championship promotion rivals in Friday evening's televised Carrow Road clash against Nottingham Forest.

Paul Lambert's men can wrestle back the initiative in front of a national audience before the rest of the top six returns to league action this weekend.

City slipped out of the automatic promotion picture following Tuesday's 2-2 draw at Watford – but Fox is confident the Canaries will deliver the perfect response.

'We have to really give everything in these last five games,' he said. 'I'm not worried. I think there is plenty of twists and turns to come. It was in our hands, but that isn't the case anymore. We have a chance to play before everyone else on Friday so we need to get three points and put the pressure on the other teams. Then we can see what the rest do over the weekend

'We've just played a team who are chasing the play-offs and we find ourselves up against another one who is pushing for that. Everyone seems to be fighting for something at the end of the season and we are fighting for one of the biggest prizes in football. We have to be up for it and it'll be nice to get home and play on a decent surface and put a marker down.'

Top scorer Grant Holt is considered a major doubt to face his former club after limping away from Vicarage Road. Holt pulled up suddenly in the latter stages clutching his left hamstring and the 30-year-old's fitness will be monitored by City's medical staff over the coming days.

'I think he was hardly moving in the last ten minutes,' said Fox. 'He hasn't got much time to recover, but hopefully the physios will work on him and he is right for Friday. If not, someone else will have to step up and try and get us some goals and put in the performances like Grant does. We have players in the squad who are waiting to do that and we have good competition.'

Fox admitted a league draw against Malky Mackay's Hornets felt like two points dropped. Simeon Jackson grabbed an equaliser after Sam Vokes' early opener was cancelled out - with some inadvertent help from the Norwich midfielder.

'We looked solid when we went a goal up but I hold my hands up for the first goal they scored,' said Fox, whose intended pass was cut out by Watford goalscorer Danny Graham. 'It was my fault that we let them back into it and the second really put us on the back foot. It took a big turnaround to get anything and we did that to be fair and once we got back into it I felt we were the only team who would go on and win it.

'We have had plenty of tests this season and we have normally come up with the goods. We have to look at it as two points dropped in the bigger picture, but we haven't lost and we need to start another run. The games are coming thick and fast and we need to put that right on Friday and get a result. Like we said before the game, we have come this far that it would be suicide to chuck it away now.'