David Cuffley Mark Fotheringham's exit from Carrow Road looked a stage closer today after City manager Bryan Gunn confirmed he had been in talks with Preston over a move for the Scottish midfielder.

David Cuffley

Mark Fotheringham's exit from Carrow Road looked a stage closer today after City manager Bryan Gunn confirmed he had been in talks with Preston over a move for the Scottish midfielder.

Gunn criticised the club captain for his reaction to being substituted in Saturday's 2-1 home defeat by Coventry, when he walked straight down the tunnel after being taken off.

It then emerged yesterday that a possible loan deal was being set up with Preston - and Fotheringham was not included in the squad for last night's Championship match at Queens Park Rangers.

“Mark decided and I decided that it was probably best that he didn't take part in tonight's game,” said Gunn after the 1-0 win at Loftus Road.

“We had that discussion on Monday morning and we will have another discussion when I get back to the training ground and we'll see what future lies from there.

“We need to make sure that Norwich City come first and make sure that we've got players who will do a job for us and we can maybe decide about other people's futures then.”

Talks were under way with the Deepdale club, said Gunn.

“Alan Irvine and I have spoken and we will continue those discussions,” he said. “We were both at games tonight and we were concentrating on those matches and then we will have another chat in the morning and decide what happens from there.”

Fotheringham, 25, is out of contract in the summer after signing a one-year deal with the Canaries last summer.