17/20 Norwich Out To Close Gap

Norwich City take on Birmingham City in the Championship on Friday night, with boss Daniel Farke knowing they need a win to get back into the top two (Norwich 17/20, draw 5/2, Birmingham 16/5 – Match Odds).

The Championship is well known for being a league where anyone can beat anyone else and as usual it is tight at the top.

The Canaries have slipped out of the automatic promotion places on goal difference, replaced by Sheffield United in second, and so need the points against Birmingham to keep the pressure on.

Farke said: “Each and every game at Championship level is difficult and you have to prepare for each and every task.

“There’s a run of games coming up against promotion contenders and we know that at the start of this run it will be a difficult period.”

Norwich will be without midfielder Alex Tettey for the next three weeks with an abductor problem while defender Timm Klose will see specialists in Switzerland to determine the full extent of his knee injury.

Meanwhile, Garry Monk’s Blues are now pushing to get into the play-off places and lie just four points behind sixth-placed Derby County.

He said: “We set ourselves the goal this season to compete with every single team in the division and this is an important game.

“If we want to be in the promotion hunt and show that we’re contenders, we need to show that we can take points off these teams.”

Blues striker Omar Bogle is unlikely to feature at Carrow Road after picking up a calf injury although Monk is boosted by the recent returns of Jota, Kristian Pedersen and Isaac Vassell from injury.

Whatever the result on Friday, Leeds will remain top of the Championship table as they currently lead the way by four points.

Leeds are Evens to win the Championship outright, with Norwich and Sheffield United both at 4/1.

Odds subject to change.