Head coach Daniel Farke is facing a balancing act to ensure injury problems do not see Norwich City fall foul of homegrown regulations.

With so many players brought in from overseas in the last 18 months the Canaries have often been walking the tightrope of naming the minimum seven 'homegrown' players in their matchday squad of 18.

However, Saturday's trip to Sheffield Wednesday is under added pressure due to loan striker Jordan Rhodes being unable to play against his parent club and midfielder Louis Thompson being ruled out for three months after shoulder surgery.

That has been compounded by Todd Cantwell being unfit to travel with a hamstring strain, with left-back Jamal Lewis also a doubt with his own hamstring trouble facing a late fitness test.

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EFL clubs have to name a minimum of seven players who meet the homegrown regulations and a club-developed player in a matchday squad.

Club-developed is defined as being registered with their club for at least 12 months prior to the end of their under-19 season.

A homegrown player does not have to have been born in England or brought through the academy. To qualify a player must have been registered with an English or Welsh club for three seasons or 36 months prior to their 21st birthday, or the end of the season in which they turn 21.

For example, Canaries keeper Tim Krul is Dutch but was a Newcastle player before he turned 18 and similarly City captain Grant Hanley is Scottish but joined Blackburn when he was 16.

If a club can't name a club-developed player in their squad then they are only allowed to name six substitutes. Clubs that breach the homegrown quota can be called before the Football Association and potentially face a fine.

However, Farke has insisted he will name 18 and young players will be taken to South Yorkshire to ensure he has a full bench as his squad pursue a fourth consecutive Championship victory.

The prime contenders would appear to be left-back Caleb Richards, midfielder Devonte Aransibia and forward Anthony Spyrou.

Former Liverpool midfielder Adam Phillips has previously been on the bench for the first team but has missed the last four U23 games and it's unclear whether he will be fit, having had loan spells at Cambridge United and Hamilton previously.

Richards was brought in this summer having had a small taste of first-team football with Blackpool previously and could provide cover for Lewis, while fellow 20-year-old Aransibia is a versatile player and has been with the club from a young age.

Spyrou, 18, has struck up a fine partnership with Ireland U19 striker Adam Idah and scored 11 goals in 20 games for City's U18s last season. He has three in nine to his name at U23 level this season and has also been with City from a young age.

Prolific striker Idah, 17, is not believed to meet homegrown criteria yet as he only joined the Canaries from Irish club Corinthians in the summer of 2017 – and was rested for this week's U23s game, a 4-0 home defeat to Fulham, due to a hectic recent schedule.

Even if Lewis is fit enough to feature and Hanley able to feature as emergency cover on the bench, one more homegrown player would still be required if it is presumed that Krul, Max Aarons, Ben Godfrey and Ben Marshall will all be involved.

The club also have loan players who cannot be called back until January who could have helped the homegrown situation, with left-back James Husband at Fleetwood and striker Tristan Abrahams at Exeter. Sean Raggett (Rotherham) and Diallang Jaiyesimi (Yeovil) could also have helped but are out injured anyway.

Here is how City's players are understood to be categorised for the homegrown rules...

HOMEGROWN

Tim Krul, Aston Oxborough (injured, arm), Max Aarons, Jamal Lewis (doubt, hamstring), Ben Godfrey, Ben Marshall, Grant Hanley (doubt, thigh), Louis Thompson (injured, shoulder), Todd Cantwell (injured, hamstring), Matt Jarvis (injured, knee), Carlton Morris (injured, knee), Jordan Rhodes (ineligible)

NON-HOMEGROWN

Michael McGovern, Ivo Pinto, Felix Passlack, Christoph Zimmermann, Timm Klose, Alex Tettey, Kenny McLean, Mario Vrancic, Tom Trybull, Moritz Leitner, Marco Stiepermann, Emi Buendia, Onel Hernandez, Teemu Pukki, Dennis Srbeny, Nelson Oliveira

U23 HOMEGROWN OPTIONS

Caleb Richards, Bilal Kamal, Ciaren Jones, Timi Odusina, Alfie Payne, Devonte Aransibia, Saul Milovanovic, Adam Phillips, Tom Scully, Josh Coley, Anthony Spyrou

U23 NON-HOMEGROWN

Jon McCracken, Isak Thorvaldsson, Simon Power, Pierre Fonkeu, Adam Idah