Norwich City

Image source, Getty Images

Norwich City boss Johannes Hoff Thorup spoke to BBC Radio Norfolk after their four-match unbeaten run came to an end with defeat at Sheffield United.

"We expected to be more on the ball because that's the way they approach the game so it's not that important for me.

"I expected us to dominate but I also expected us to be able to take better care of the chances that we got into.

"We had many situations in the box and around the box and offensive transitions, but the quality of decisions in the final third was below standard.

"I'm frustrated and disappointed about that because I think there was something for us in this game tonight and the goals we conceded are down to our own sloppiness in two vital moments."

Image source, BBC Sport

Chris Goreham

BBC Radio Norfolk Norwich City commentator

Image source, Getty Images

Johannes Hoff Thorup's latest injury bulletin leaves him with a selection headache for Norwich City's trip to Sheffield United.

He has only 15 players available who have featured for the Canaries in the Championship this season - that includes two goalkeepers, young defender Brad Hills, who has only nine minutes of league experience for City, and Josh Sargent, back for the first time in the league since October after injury.

Since the January transfer window opened Ashley Barnes, Christian Fassnacht, Kaide Gordon and Grant Hanley have all left the club.

Top scorer Borja Sainz is serving the second of a six-match ban for a spitting offence, and new signing Matej Jurasek will not be eligible until next month because of work permit issues.

The City midfield has been hit particularly hard and Marcelino Nunez, Liam Gibbs, Jacob Sorensen, Anis Ben Slimane, Gabriel Forsyth and Tony Springett are all missing through injury. Slimane only made his loan move from the Blades permanent earlier this week.

Thorup has confirmed his squad will include at least a couple of players from the academy who will be involved with the first team for the first time at Bramall Lane.

Image source, Getty Images

Norwich City boss Johannes Hoff Thorup has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Championship game against Sheffield United (kick-off 15:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• On the arrival of Slavia Prague winger Matěj Jurásek: "He can dribble, move, he's technically a great player and we wanted to get him before any other club did. Bigger clubs than us were starting to pay attention to him, so we got the deal done."

• On the departure of club captain Grant Hanley to Birmingham: "He's been a great part of the club. Everything has to come to an end sometime and we wish him well on his new adventure."

• Midfielder Marcelino Nunez had a scan on his hamstring this week and will be out "for about three weeks, depending how aggressive we want to be with bringing him back sooner - but the scan was ok."

• Kaide Gordon returned to Liverpool this week, cutting his loan short with Thorup saying: "I rate him as a good player with a big potential. If he was a player on a long contract I would be prepared to work with him longer. We didn't really get the performances from day one, so it's a fine balance. He was a pleasure to work with and I wish him all the best."

• Callum Doyle is fit, he was taken off at half-time in the FA Cup defeat to Brighton last weekend. Amankwa Forson will not be part of the squad because of a knee problem.

• Josh Sargent played the last 10 minutes of the FA Cup defeat with the striker "looking good, in a good mood and full of energy."

• On Sheffield United: "We had some good moments in the match at Carrow Road so we will try to replicate that. If we find the flow in our game, we can hurt them. We will have to be smart when we risk the ball because they are extremely good on the counter-attack."

League One leaders Birmingham City have opened talks with Norwich City over a potential deal for defender Grant Hanley. (Football Insider, external)

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Friday's gossip here.

Image source, Getty Images

Norwich City fans will be excited by watching new signing Matej Jurasek, according to British coach Jonathan Davies, who works in the academy at Slavia Prague.

The Canaries completed the signing of the winger on Thursday from the current Czech top flight leaders for an undisclosed fee.

"He's very tenacious, he's good at defending, and works very hard on the pitch for the team," Davies told BBC Radio Norfolk.

"His main attributes are his dribbling skills and his one-on-one skills. He's really exciting to watch and gets people off their seats."

The 21-year-old Czech international will not be able to join up with Norwich until the beginning of February because of work permit rules.

"He's changed quite a lot over the years. He's from a small city, not too dissimilar to Norwich, and when he came to Prague he was quite overwhelmed by it.

"I'm hoping he can integrate quickly into a new environment, and if he does, Norwich have a rough diamond and potential star on their hands for little money," added Davies.

Promotion-chasing Sheffield United host Norwich City on Saturday (15:00 GMT) as they continue to contend for the title.

The Blades are currently third in the table, level on points with second-placed Burnley and one point behind league leaders Leeds United.

However, United have only won one of their past five games and suffered a defeat by Cardiff City in the FA Cup at the weekend.

Norwich have not lost any of their past four league games but were thrashed out of the Cup by Premier League side Brighton.

• Sheffield United are unbeaten across their past eight league games against Norwich (W5 D3), a run directly following a stint during which the Blades suffered eight defeats across 10 meetings with the Norfolk side (W2).

• Norwich have lost just two of their past 10 league games against sides from Yorkshire (W5 D3), though were defeated in their last such match, by Sheffield Wednesday, in November.

• After winning nine of their first 10 home league games this season (D1), Sheffield United are since winless in their past two at Bramall Lane (D1 L1); the Blades haven't gone three without victory in the Championship at home under boss Chris Wilder since December 2018.

• Norwich have won their past two league games and will be aiming to win three in a row for the first time since March 2024.

• Since the beginning of last season, Norwich have averaged 1.6 points per game in the 51 Championship matches with Borja Sainz in their starting XI (W22 D16 L13) compared to 1.3 points in their 21 matches without the Spaniard in their line-up (W8 D3 L10).

Championship side Norwich City have joined the chase for highly-rated Peterborough striker Ricky-Jade Jones, 22, who is out of contract at the end of the season. (Football League World), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Tuesday's gossip here.

Image source, Rex Features

Kaide Gordon has been recalled from his season-long loan spell with Norwich City by parent club Liverpool.

The 20-year-old, who can play as a winger or attacking midfielder, made 10 appearances in the Championship, scoring one goal in a 4-0 home win over Hull City in October.

Gordon arrived on loan from Anfield on deadline day in August 2024 but started just one game and played 177 minutes in total for the Canaries.

"All at the club thank Kaide for his effort and commitment while part of the Norwich City squad," the club said on its website, external.

Gordon has made seven senior appearances for Liverpool since arriving on Merseyside from Derby County in 2021, netting once in an FA Cup third round tie against Shrewsbury in January of the following year.

Meanwhile, Norwich Under-21s defender Lucien Mahovo has signed a contract extension until 2028 with the option of a further year.

The 19-year-old joined in the summer from Notts County but is yet to make a first-team appearance.

Norwich hot-shot Borja Sainz is reportedly a target for Champions League side Girona, who are preparing a bid of up to £20m. (Football League World, external)

Want more EFL transfer stories? Read Sunday's full gossip column.

Image source, SNS

Motherwell have signed goalkeeper Archie Mair on loan from Norwich City after Krisztian Hegyi was recalled by West Ham.

Mair, 23, has had six loan spells in England after joining Norwich from Aberdeen in 2019 and goes straight into the starting XI against Hibernian.

The former Scotland under-21 international has yet to make an appearance for the first team at Carrow Road.

Hegyi's spell ends after just two appearances in the League Cup group stage.

Matthew Connolly, 21, has also been recalled by Motherwell from his loan spell at East Kilbride and is on the bench at Easter Road.

BBC Sport football expert Chris Sutton has made his predictions for all 32 FA Cup third round games and given his verdict on who will make it into round four.

For this week's matches he is up against actor and musician Billy Bob Thornton, who is a Liverpool fan.

Sutton's prediction: 0-2

What a win for Johannes Hoff Thorup's Norwich at the weekend. It harked back to the Daniel Farke era, with us scoring two stoppage time goals to beat Frank Lampard's Coventry.

The guy who got them both, Amankwah Forson, has had a difficult start to his Norwich career, but he took them brilliantly.

The issue my old club have is that Ashley Barnes has gone back to Burnley, leaving Josh Sargent as their only recognised striker.

Sargent has been injured this season and has only played 12 Championship games, which is less than half, so it is a gamble to rely on him to stay fit.

I'd love to say Norwich will win this, but I actually think Brighton will go through.

They could do with a victory too because, although they performed really well against Arsenal, they have not won for eight games.

It pains me to say this, but I am going with the Seagulls to take out the Canaries.

Billy's prediction: 0-2

Read the full predictions and have your say here