Paul Lambert fancies an afternoon with the boys in the Barclay End – but admits he will have to mind his Ps and Qs and watch proceedings from the directors' box.

The City boss is banned from the touchline and, apart from pre-match and half-time team talks, his only communication will be via a phone link to the bench.

It's unlikely he will be racking up a big bill, though, with assistant Ian Culverhouse looking after affairs pitchside, leaving Lambert to find himself a decent vantage point in a sell-out Carrow Road.

'I think I might go into that Barclay End just to see what it's like,' laughed Lambert.

'I will probably be in the directors' box. You probably need to keep your emotions intact compared to what I normally do. I need to just curtail it a wee bit.

'But Ian will know exactly what we think and there won't be a problem. Ian is vital to me and he knows exactly what we think and knows exactly what to do so we don't have a problem.

'Ideally I would like to be in the technical area, so I have to take it.

'But the game will take care of itself. The magnitude will take care of itself.

'The players won't need me to stand there to know how important it is.'

Just who those players are isn't yet clear, with midfielder Korey Smith, who missed last weekend's draw with Leeds, still doubtful with an ankle injury. Henri Lansbury arrived on loan from Arsenal in midweek and stands by for his debut: the 20-year-old's last game for the Gunners was a League Cup tie against old rivals Spurs earlier this season, so Lambert has no concerns about throwing him in at the deep end.

'I don't have a fear at all,' said Lambert. 'He has played at a really high level himself playing at the club he is at, so I wouldn't have a problem about him.

'They know how to play the game, as everybody knows, the way they play it, the way they pass it, and he is no exception.

'He is only a young lad with his career in front of him, but technically very, very good, so he has got a chance.'