Daniel Farke is working on two Norwich City plans but is desperate to rip up the Championship version, as the Canaries close in on the Premier League.

Farke and sporting director Stuart Webber have plotted an improbable promotion push, with City five points clear of the chasing pack.

Norwich’s head coach was preaching caution again after beating Middlesbrough 1-0, while reiterating there is a top flight strategy ready to go.

“We are not over the line but my feeling is very, very good,” he said.

“If you are professional you have to prepare for all scenarios.

“Not just in recent weeks but I could say, even for Stuart Webber, nearly since the start of the season we had to prepare for three scenarios - League One, Championship and also the Premier League.

“Thankfully we don’t have to speak any more about League One. Just right now the Championship and the Premier League and because we are professional we are doing the background stuff.

“It is not what we do on a daily basis with players, it is more what Stuart must do, along with myself, in terms of our recruitment, our scouting and how they have to be prepared for different scenarios.

“But we can’t press the button right now. We have to wait and see what happens.”

Onel Hernandez’s seventh goal of the league season sealed a priceless win on Teesside.

Hernandez looks another astute piece of business from City’s scouting set-up after being plucked from the German second tier.

Farke demanded more end product from the 26-year-old at the start of this season, and the wide player has delivered.

“He has added this. I am really, really pleased,” he said. “His development the whole season, to the point where he is now in the yellow shirt, is outstanding; his workload, his tactical understanding.

“There are still topics we can improve because he is not at his very best performance level.

“He is always a threat in one against one situations, but it was not just goals and assists he had to add, also the tactical flexibility to play sometimes out of the pocket and to change his game. He has improved a lot but we haven’t finished his development.

“He is an important player. He works so hard each and every day in training and that is the only way forward.”