Ins, outs & injury doubts for this week's matches

Norwich's strength in depth will be put to the test at Coventry this weekend with two key players missing at St Andrews.

Emi Buendia opened the scoring in Tuesday's 3-2 win at Stoke but was later sent off so is suspended.

But worse news for Daniel Farke is the injury to keeper Tim Krul which is set to rule him out for a while.

Midfielder Kenny McClean had only just been added to a long-term injury list featuring Sam Byram, Kieran Dowell, Onel Hernandez, Bali Mumba and Adam Idah, while it seems certain that Todd Cantwell and Jordan Hugill also won't be fit for the trip to Coventry.

Hull's hopes boosted

Sunday's FA Cup tie at Stevenage comes at the perfect time for Hull City boss Grant McCann.

The League One pacesetters were hugely impressive 3-0 winners at Ipswich on Tuesday night where Jacob Greaves and Reece Burke, a long way from anyone's idea of the side's first-choice defensive pairing going into the campaign, continued to excel.

Burke needs a minor operation, however, and will undergo that surgery this week, meaning he misses the trip to Stevenage but will hopefully be fit for Wednesday's showdown with local rivals Doncaster.

McCann may also recall Greg Docherty and Keane Lewis-Potter at Stevenage. Docherty has missed two games with a thigh strain while six-goal Lewis-Potter has been self-isolating.

Preston struggling at the back

Preston face a defensive crisis heading into their trip to Watford with under-fire manager Alex Neil admitting North End could arrive at Vicarage Road without a single full-back.

Aaron Hughes and Josh Earl are both injured as is Ben Davies, who could have slotted in down a flank.

Left-back Joe Rafferty and midfielder and occasional rightback Alan Browne are suspended after picking up red and yellow cards respectively in Tuesday's horror defeat at home by Blackburn.

The other first-team full-back at the club is Darnell Fisher who is awaiting news of a potential ban after grabbing Callum Paterson's privates during the weekend showdown with Sheffield Wednesday.

All's well for Evatt

Bolton, many people's ideas of League Two winners at the start of the season, are finally motoring.

Patience in manager Ian Evatt is proving well-founded and the Wanderers boss hopes to name the same side for a fourth successive match when they entertain Southend.

Bolton have won four in a row since the return from injury of striker Eoin Doyle, part of a front four who Scunthorpe boss Neil Cox hailed as 'the best in the division' after they saw off the Iron at Glanford Park on Tuesday.

The other big call made by Evatt which has proved a masterstroke was drafting in Matt Gilks between the sticks – he has kept two clean sheets in three matches.

As big as 11-1 for promotion a month ago, they are now as short as 9-2 and could go eighth if they see off whipping boys Southend.

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