Cool heads, but fire in the belly – that's the message coming out of Carrow Road ahead of tonight's East Anglian derby trip to Portman Road.

The 93rd edition of one of football's most fiercely-fought local rivalries has all the ingredients of being a cracker: City are gunning for promotion; Ipswich have a slim chance of making the play-offs – and you can bet they're still smarting from their 4-1 hammering at Carrow Road five months ago.

A near 30,000 crowd will be at Portman Road while there could be a staggering 10,000 watching the match on a beam back at Carrow Road.

Victory would send Norwich back into the second automatic promotion spot ahead of Cardiff, who face leaders and red-hot title favourites QPR on Saturday. The atmosphere will be electric – but City boss Paul Lambert has urged his players to keep their heads and not let the occasion have a negative effect.

'I know how vital it is to people, I know,' said Lambert. 'Everybody has different ways of dealing with derby games. I know exactly what it's like, the players know what they are going into, but we have a better chance of winning the game if we have 11 on the pitch.

'As long as you don't get caught up in it then we will give it everything we have got to try and win the game.

'You have to play with your brain a little bit. There is no point in trying to make a tackle from about 80 yards to get a clap from the crowd. You have got to play with your head and do what's right for the team and not let the team down and yourself down. If you do that you have a better chance. I know how hard the game is going to be but we are going to go and try and win.'

A similar message was coming out of Portman Road from manager Paul Jewell.

'I think it's important that the players have the passion, which will definitely be there because of the atmosphere inside the ground, but the important thing is to keep our heads, play with our heads, and make clear decisions not let the occasion get to you.'