CHRIS LAKEY Norwich City Championship survival hopes have been hit by a double injury blow.Defender Adam Drury is almost certain to miss the rest of the season after surgery on his right knee to repair ligament damage - leaving manager Glenn Roeder in desperate need of a dedicated left-back.

CHRIS LAKEY

Norwich City Championship survival hopes have been hit by a double injury blow.

Defender Adam Drury is almost certain to miss the rest of the season after surgery on his right knee to repair ligament damage - leaving manager Glenn Roeder in desperate need of a dedicated left-back.

And he may have to add a goalkeeper to his wanted list after it was revealed yesterday that back-up keeper Matty Gilks is out for 10 weeks because of injury.

Gilks has suffered the same ankle ligament injury which left first choice David Marshall sidelined for the final four months of last season when he was on loan from Celtic. But Gilks' injury has opened up a totally different can of worms for Roeder, who now finds himself down to just one senior goalkeeper - Marshall.

The natural third choice goalkeeper would be Joe Lewis, but his loan deal with League Two newcomers Morecambe - sanctioned during the previous managerial regime of Peter Grant - was window-to-window and does not allow him to return to Carrow Road until January 1. Paul Gallacher, who is on loan at Dunfermline, is another who cannot be recalled until the New Year - although it would appear he has settled for a move away from Norwich,

That means 18-year-old Steve Arnold will be on the bench for Saturday's visit of Coventry City.

Arnold was ruled out of last night's reserve team game against Northampton at Carrow Road as a precaution - but it left City in the embarrassing situation of having to play goalkeeping coach Jim Hollman.

England Under-17s keeper Declan Rudd, from Diss, is currently sidelined with a knee ligament while the highly-promising 15-year-old Jed Steer - who has followed in the footsteps of Robert Green, Lewis and Rudd in being called up by England's Under-16 squad - is too young to play.

Gilks suffered his injury after twisting his ankle in training on Thursday - causing similar damage to that suffered by Marshall during the FA Cup fifth round match at Stamford Bridge last February. The 25-year-old has yet to make a senior appearance for the Canaries, having moved to Carrow Road from Rochdale in the summer.

Drury suffered his injury during the home match against Bristol City - the first game of caretaker manager Jim Duffy's three-match tenure - last month.

It will intensify Roeder's hunt for a specialist left-back, with midfielder Simon Lappin having to cover the position in Drury's absence.

Meanwhile, City have been linked with a swoop for West Ham midfielder Nigel Quashie, who is also wanted by Stoke.

Although Hammers boss Alan Curbishley has a mounting injury crisis, the Scotland international is clearly out of favour and would welcome a loan move.