Leading scorer Grant Holt believes the quality of Norwich City's squad will see them maintain their current good form through their FA Cup challenge. The Canaries face three games in eight days, with this evening's second round FA Cup tie at Carlisle and League One matches at Southend on Tuesday, and at home to Oldham on Saturday.

Leading scorer Grant Holt believes the quality of Norwich City's squad will see them maintain their current good form through their FA Cup challenge.

The Canaries face three games in eight days, with this evening's second round FA Cup tie at Carlisle and League One matches at Southend on Tuesday, and at home to Oldham on Saturday.

And although Paul Lambert has had the luxury of naming the same starting 11 for three successive games, Holt believes the time will soon come for the players who have been biding their time - one case in point being Stephen Hughes, who came on to score Norwich's equaliser in the 2-2 draw at Southampton.

Holt said: "Hopefully we'll go up there to Carlisle, get it done, and then move on to the next thing.

"That's why we've got a big squad here, a good team, and if need be I'm sure the lads who haven't involved the last couple of weeks will be called upon and they'll go on and do a good job - as we've seen with Hughesy last week when he came on. His attitude was fantastic and that's what we've got at the moment. We have got a squad, a team, who's performing well and everyone is happy to be here."

If it was a big squad last weekend, it is two players bigger after Thursday's emergency loan deadline with after Norwich manager Paul Lambert adding Russell Martin and Anthony McNamee to the mix.

"It's always good to bring players in," said Holt. "It's more competition again, everyone knows what a fantastic squad we've got already, so to bring two players in which he's done is fantastic for the football club and for the players. It keeps us on our toes and if they add extra to the squad, which I'm sure they will, it'll be good for us to get promoted."

While some may find the FA Cup second round somewhat uninspiring, the dangling carrot of a third round tie against one of the Premier League's behemoths should ensure the Norwich players are fully focused.

"It's always good, the FA Cup," said Holt. "It's nice to take a distraction away from the League, focus on something else for a little bit and it should be a good name. We played Paulton last round, Carlisle this round and then the next round you could be playing someone like Chelsea or Manchester United. That's why it's such a good competition."

Holt was on the receiving end of the home fans' stick in City's 1-0 win at Brunton Park last month - something the striker has come to expect from playing against his hometown club.

He said: "I always get stick up there. When you're from there and things have gone on in the past you always get a little bit of stick.

"You just take it tongue in cheek, there's no malice in it so you just laugh it off and go and enjoy the game, and hopefully we'll be laughing when we win again."

Although most Norwich fans were cursing another long, long trip in support of the Canaries, there were a few at Colney who were happy.

"For myself, Hughesy, Simon Lappin, Michael Nelson, it's the only time most of our families get up to watch the game. We'd have preferred to get someone at home but we haven't, so it's another long away trip and hopefully we'll go up there and do the job like we have done before."

City midfielder Damon Lathrope, 20, has joined Blue Square South club Bishop's Stortford on loan until the new year.