Norwich V Leicester at Carrow Road - Match Preview

Norwich manager Paul Lambert insists Premier League survival remains his top priority ahead of Saturday's FA Cup fifth-round tie with Leicester.

The Canaries are sitting pretty in eighth place with 35 points - but Lambert will not rest easy until their top-flight status is secure.

Norwich can reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup with a victory at Carrow Road.

"I wont treat it lightly but the Premiership is our main priority," Lambert told reporters.

"We want to progress but the main thing is survival in the league. It is vital for the club."

Lambert will make changes, with striker James Vaughan set for a role against Leicester after returning from a long-term knee injury to score for the reserves in midweek.

"James Vaughan will be in the squad," Lambert said.

"He is looking a lot better now than he was a few weeks ago. He did fine against West Brom in the reserves.

"You give it (the FA Cup) every respect it deserves. There will be some changes in the team but it won't be a weakened side, that's for sure.

"It's a game we will go and try and win and it's a chance to get through.

"Zak Whitbread is not available. He's doing all right at the minute, but I think this game I just too early for him.

"I'll have to see how Adam Drury is feeling. Hopefully he'll be okay. Elliott Bennett seems to be ok, but the team I play will be strong.

"There is a good chance Jed Steer will play, I'll decide on Saturday."

Lambert knows expectations will be high of a Norwich victory against Championship opposition they beat comfortably in the league last season.

"We are playing really well, the confidence is really high at the minute but the lads know what to expect," Lambert said.

"It's going to be a really tough game.

"Everyone will turn up expecting us to win against a Championship side but it is not that long ago we were playing them ourselves.

"Nigel (Pearson, the manager) has gone back there and given them a lift. This is a really hard game."

With Manchester United due at Carrow Road on February 26, the last thing Lambert wants is a replay.

"I think we have to try and get in finished on Saturday. As I said before the Burnley game (in the last round) I don't want a replay, and hopefully we'll go through," Lambert said.

Leicester manager Nigel Pearson believes the reputation of Leicester fans has been unfairly tarnished by the decision to keep them away from the tie at Carrow Road.

The Foxes had their ticket allocation slashed from 4,200 to just over 2,000 following recommendations from a Safety Advisory Panel in Norfolk after their supporters were classed as 'high risk'.

Pearson said: "We took 8,000 to Nottingham Forest which was a local derby and I don't think there was any fall-out from that one.

"It has caused a lot of, not just bad feeling, but our fans feel their reputation has been tainted and tarnished by someone else's opinions."

Paul Gallacher has joined Leicester's lengthy list of absentees for the game. Forward Gallagher has picked up a hamstring injury and will be missing for at least a couple of weeks.

Scans have revealed that midfielder Danny Drinkwater, who is cup-tied, has not broken a bone in the foot he injured at Watford in midweek. Back-up goalkeeper Conrad Logan and teenage defender Liam Moore are also cup-tied

Pearson had hoped to have Sol Bamba and John Pantsil back from the African Nations Cup but they have yet to return.

Strikers Darius Vassell (knee), Martyn Waghorn (hamstring) and Jeff Schlupp (knee) as well as midfielder Andy King (foot) are long-term absentees, while Matt Oakley and fellow midfielder Frank Moussa also remain unavailable.

However, on-loan striker Nathan Delfouneso will be allowed to play as his parent club Aston Villa were eliminated in the previous round.

Source: PA

Source: PA