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STARTING XIs: Leitner handed first start in almost four months as City take on Wednesday
Moritz Leitner returns to the Norwich City starting line-up against Sheffield Wednesday Picture: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd - Credit: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd
Moritz Leitner makes his first start in almost four months as Norwich City look to take a big step towards promotion when they take on play-off chasing Sheffield Wednesday this evening.
Leitner comes into central midfield alongside Tom Trybull, who shakes off a knee concern, and Kenny McLean moves into an attacking midfield position with Todd Cantwell dropping to the bench.
The German was in superb form for the Canaries but injured ankle ligaments during the 1-0 win at Blackburn just before Christmas and missed nine games, before featuring as a substitute in six of the last 10 matches.
Alex Tettey is back among the substitutes in place of Jordan Rhodes, with the loan striker ineligible against his parent club, so Aston Oxborough comes in as back-up keeper to fulfil the homegrown quota of seven players – with Emi Buendia serving the final game of his three-match suspension and set to return at Stoke on Monday.
The hosts are unbeaten in 10 games but have seen the momentum of an eight-game winning streak slowed by successive draws against relegation battlers Reading and Wigan.
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City sit four points clear of second placed Sheffield United ahead of kick-off, who won 2-0 at home against Nottingham Forest this afternoon, to move ahead of Leeds on goal difference, who suffered a shock 2-1 home loss to Wigan.
It means the league leading Canaries now know two wins from their final four games will not only seal promotion but the title as well, starting against the Owls tonight.
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Wednesday have only lost two games since former Canaries defender Steve Bruce took charge at the end of January but both have been in the last three games, losing 3-1 at home to Aston Villa and 1-0 at Leeds.
They sit 12th and eight points adrift of the play-offs ahead of kick-off, making a place in the top six unlikely, and make four changes – with former Canaries striker Gary Hooper missing out.
Morgan Fox, Dominic Iorfa, Josh Onomah and Fernando Forestieri come into the Owls starting XI, with Morgan Fox and Barry Bannan dropping to the bench and the injured Adam Reach and Hooper dropping out completely.
NORWICH: Krul; Aarons, Zimmermann (C), Godfrey, Lewis; Trybull, Leitner; McLean, Stiepermann, Hernandez; Pukki. Subs: Oxborough (GK), Hanley, Klose, Tettey, Vrancic, Cantwell, Srbeny
SHEFF WEDS: Westwood; Iorfa, Lees (C), Hector, Palmer; Matias, Hutchinson, Onomah, Boyd; Fletcher, Forestieri. Subs: Dawson (GK), Fox, Pelupessy, Bannan, Winnall, Joao, Nuhiu
REFEREE: Geoff Eltringham (County Durham)
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