Lambert likes to keep cards close to his chest

Around 2pm this afternoon, as an expected 3,000 Norwich City fans are making their way into the Galpharm Stadium, Paul Lambert will put his squad out of their misery - and name the team that he believes will leave Huddersfield with all three points.

'I never tell them the day before, they only know just about an hour before,' said Lambert. 'I have always done it that way.'

It's then that the answer to perhaps the biggest question - whether or not Darel Russell will start after serving a three-game ban - will be revealed.

City have a 100pc record during Russell's absence and Lambert generally sticks with a winning team, which would mean another outing for the impressive winger Anthony McNamee.

As usual, clues are thin on the ground.

'It was the same situation when Grant (Holt) was out,' said Lambert. 'Cody (McDonald) came in and did great, Oli (Johnson) came in and did great. And the only game we lost without Grant was at Millwall and we have won all the games since Rusty has been out. These lads were a major part of what happened beforehand and they are a major part from hereon in. Whatever team I pick will be a team that will try and win the game.'

Left-back Adam Drury will travel, having played an hour for the reserves in midweek after missing the last seven games with a thigh injury. Zak Whitbread could make a playing comeback with the second string against Peterborough next week as he continues his recovery from a calf injury, while for another centre-half, Jens Berthel Askou, it's a case of being patient.

Askou suffered a broken metatarsal in the game at Yeovil in December, and while he is fit again, has been unable to dislodge Michael Nelson.

'It is hard for Jens at the minute to get back in,' said Lambert.

There are few dead certs with Lambert, but Korey Smith must be an exception. Smith has never hit 'the wall', as Lambert thought he might, but equally the manager believes the big test is yet to come.

'Korey is only 19 and he has come in and done exceptionally well for us and his next season will probably be a big, big test for him because people will probably expect things of him,' he said. 'People have to remember he is just 19 years old, but he has been brilliant.

'I said that at the time as well that sometimes people can get a bit tired, but sometimes it doesn't happen. You get the one-off when it doesn't happen and he seems to be one of those lads who has kept on going and his form never really dipped.

'The only time I left him out was because of his hamstrings, but his form has never really come down to a level where I thought he needed a rest.'

Form will be key today against a side with the only unbeaten home record in League One and smarting from successive defeats.

'You need to try and win most of your home games and pick up things away from home and we seem to have done that,' said Lambert.

'The lads have been brilliant and we will go up there and try and win another game.

'It will be their prerogative how they want to play the game, our prerogative is to play our way and try and counteract what they have got.

'I have got a group of lads who have given me everything and are on top of their game so we will go up there and we will do everything we can to try and win.'