Danny Batth is in line for his full Norwich City Championship debut at Cardiff - and David Wagner is confident he will step up.

The 33-year-old centre back has had largely a watching brief since his September arrival behind Ben Gibson, Shane Duffy and even youngster Jaden Warner, who made his league debut last weekend in the 3-1 home defeat to Blackburn. 

But Batth's time has come with Gibson injured, Duffy suspended and Grant Hanley still on the comeback trail from his long layoff.

“Danny Batth is an unbelievable professional,” said Wagner. “He has not had the best or the easiest period since he came to us. He was cup tied and came in during a period when the centre backs looked quite stable.

"Then obviously, last weekend I picked Jaden in front of him, which prompted a lot of discussion whether it was the right one. I explained to him why I did what I did, and how he reacted was just great. I'm very happy to have him in the building, very experienced.

"I can close my eyes and put him in the starting 11 and I wouldn’t have any concerns, as experienced as he is and how he has trained.

“With Gibbo’s injury and Duffy's suspension, we are short on the centre position, I think this is quite obvious, but we will find the proper solution to be competitive on Saturday.

“I thought Jaden was ready. And then as well, if I ask my players to be brave on the pitch, to be fearless, then I, as a manager, have to show this as well. And this is why we decided to give Jaden his league debut (against Blackburn) and he played 90 minutes.

"He was involved in that first goal, yes, I know. But I think it was a good start for him into professional football.”

Wagner’s selection shuffles have failed to arrest a downward decline, but the under-pressure City head coach rejects any suggestion his changing tactical set ups have induced confusion.

Norwich went to Sunderland with a defensive counter-attacking strategy, on their last Championship away day, but opted to try and aggressively press Rovers, with the same outcome on both occasions.

“We don't have a problem the guys don't know what we what we like to see in and out of ball possession,” insisted Wagner. “At the end of the day it's all about how you execute it, how focused you are, how concentrated you are, how much desire you show, on the pitch in every single second. This is the first thing which you have to do.

“Yes, in the one or other situations you maybe don't get your press right (against Blackburn). But this is what we had done in the beginning of the season, only much better. Once we got it right later in the game we had a lot of very good turnovers high up the pitch against Blackburn, but then we were not clinical enough as well.

"We should be still focused on how we can continue to score and, for sure, as well, how we can solve conceding as many goals as we have done in the past.”

Resurgent Cardiff have not lost at home in the league since the opening week of the season.

“Different form at home than away and they score a lot of goals from set pieces,” said Wagner. “Still physical, but playing more football maybe in recent years than you would associate with a Cardiff City side.

"It's a test, it's a proper challenge. We know what is in front of us. And we know what, first and foremost, we have to do right to be competitive and to have the chance to get some points out of this game. And this is our way, this will not change.”