City boss ready to become loan arranger

City manager Peter Grant has not ruled out bringing in a loan signing in time for Saturday's home game against Cardiff as cover for injured skipper Adam Drury.

Drury was today rated 80-20 against being fit to face the Championship leaders at Carrow Road after suffering a knee injury in the 1-0 win at Birmingham on Tuesday and being substituted at half-time.

And with Patrick Boyle back at Everton after a month on loan with City, Grant is anxious to find another natural left-sided player as cover.

He said: “With Adam, we'll give it until the last minute because he's that important a player for us.

“I would say at this time he's probably 80-20 against but he is hoping the extra day will help.

“It's not as bad as we feared and certainly there was a massive improvement when he came in yesterday morning.

“He has a dead leg above his knee so he can't get the full range of movement.

“But we don't want to rush him back and maybe lose him for a few weeks. I am not one to take a chance on players.

“I've got the option of maybe going out and getting someone in as I like balance in the side so I'd maybe do that as well.

“But I would have no worries about keeping the team as it finished the other night.”

Midfielder Andy Hughes, who missed the Birmingham game with a hamstring injury is still sidelined but goalkeeper Lee Camp should be available after a back injury.

With Grant in the job less than a week, transfer rumours are already circulating, with star man Darren Huckerby linked with a move next summer to Grant's old club, Celtic and Bournemouth striker James Hayter mentioned as a possible target for the Canaries.

Grant insisted that Huckerby was a key player in his plans, saying: “He's part of the future of this club.”

As for Hayter, who has scored 92 goals for the Cherries, he said: “I've not made any inquiries about James. I've not seen him play for probably 14 months but you have always got to be looking at a player like James with the amount of goals he's scored.”