Sheffield Wednesday boss Tony Pulis is relishing a reunion with Daniel Farke after describing Norwich City's head coach as a 'very interesting person'.
Terrace Talk (S2.E13.) | Norwich City v Sheffield Wednesday
The experienced Welshman was appointed manager of the Owls last month and has overseen a period of three unbeaten, but travels to Norfolk seeking his first win as Wednesday manager.
Pulis made his name at Stoke CIty but it was with Middlesbrough where he crossed paths with Farke. Despite their differences in terms of philosophy, the 62-year-old has admitted he is a big admirer of the Canaries boss.
"I like Daniel. He has done a smashing job there," Pulis told the Sheffield Examiner in his pre-match press conference.
"He is a very understated person. The time I have spent with him I have found him interesting. He’s at a very good club. Norwich are a well-run club. It will be a tough test for us.
"We will go there and hopefully do what we have done in the last four games and make sure everyone understands their role in the team."
Sheffield finds itself in the highest national coronavirus restrictions, meaning they aren't permitted to welcome supporters back into Hillsborough at this stage. When Pulis' side take to the field at Carrow Road, 2,000 City supporters will be in attendence.
Pulis' opening four fixtures for the club has been his first experience of life behind closed doors and the Welshman admits it's been a surreal situation after managing in front of supporters for nearly 30 years.
Reflecting on the limited number of supporters that will in attendance, Wednesday's boss said: "It’s like Carrow Road; it’s a smashing ground and stadium and the atmosphere is always very good. There’ll be 2,000 there tomorrow.
"It’s strange times for me having been in the game for a long, long time. My recollection of walking out at Swansea I was thinking ‘where is the crowd?’ It was like a reserve game."
Sheffield Wednesday without a host of key players due to injuries and suspensions.
Their ill-discipline has proved an unwanted distraction to their season to date and midfield duo Massimo Luongo and Liam Shaw will both be ruled out after the former accumulated five yellow cards, triggering a one-match suspension, and the latter saw red for a reckless tackle in midweek .
Pulis will also be without loan duo Aden Flint and Jack Marriott who are both injured. The pair have returned to their parent clubs for treatment.
The influential midfielder Barry Bannan is also a doubt after sustaining an ankle injury in the first-half of their 1-1 draw with Reading.
Wednesday's boss had introduced a fines system that he hopes will help his squad improve their discipline going forward.
“I have brought in a fines system and hopefully that livens them up," Pulis said.
“It is ridiculous we have had five players sent off. That is not good enough. We had talked about it and hopefully we can eradicate the poor decisions that players are making at times.
“I have had two. The Windass one and the Shaw one, which were two poor challenges and challenges you cannot make today.
The Owls boss added: “We’ve got the two suspended and Baz (Bannan) was in getting treatment yesterday, so we’ll take a view on him later on today.
“The lads aren’t training until this afternoon so they can have a rest and we’re trying with the medical people to put in place a system where the players can rest as much as they can because of the amount the players are being asked to play.
“The preparation with what we do off the pitch is almost as important as on the pitch at the moment.”
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