Aidy Boothroyd is eyeing a big push from his Coventry City side over the Christmas period – starting with Norwich City’s visit this weekend.

It will be fifth versus sixth in the Championship at the Ricoh Arena on Saturday, and while Norwich will be aiming to bounce back from their home defeat to Portsmouth, the Sky Blues have been in imperious form in recent weeks.

Three wins in four matches – and four successive clean sheets in the process – mean Coventry sit a point ahead of the Canaries, but more importantly four points ahead of the chasing play-off hopefuls.

And with the busy Christmas programme less than a fortnight away, Boothroyd, inset, aims to make it count.

“That’s a nice position and as the games come thick and fast, particularly to Boxing Day and the five we have got in quick succession, we have got to make sure we hang on to the top two and look to push on from where we are and give ourselves a bigger gap,” Boothroyd told the Coventry Evening Telegraph.

“Because once we get back to the Saturday to Saturday games and into January we want to get a good few wins and get that cushion as we start that final push and final run-in.

“Keeping clean sheets is a lovely habit, as is scoring goals and we are slowly getting there but we know it is a difficult period.”

A goalless draw at the weekend meant Coventry had to make do with a point at Reading, but with captain Lee Carsley picking up his fifth booking the former Everton midfielder will miss out against the Canaries – who in turn will see their captain, Grant Holt, return from the one-match ban he served against Portsmouth for the same reason.

Carlsey’s absence will prompt Boothroyd into making the first changes to his starting XI in four matches, which could see a return for ex-Norwich midfielders David Bell and Sammy Clingan.

Clingan has been in and out of favour under Boothroyd, while Bell has been out with a knee ligament injury since early November but is in contention.

Boothroyd added: “Carso is suspended and will certainly be a miss but we have got Sammy Clingan coming back, or Conor Thomas, or Aron Gunnarsson to go in there and do a job.”