Pattison can leave on loan

Matty Pattison may be allowed to leave Carrow Road on loan - but not to one of City's Championship relegation rivals.

The 22-year-old midfielder has been out of favour under the Gunn regime and is said to be interesting a number of clubs in the Championship and League One, including tomorrow's opponents, fellow strugglers Plymouth.

But Gunn - who has also confirmed that striker Chris Killen has gone back to Scotland for compassionate reasons - says any move must be beneficial to Norwich City, and that doesn't include helping out a rival.

“I wouldn't do it, definitely not, not to anyone, and that cuts down the options for everybody,” he said. “There is no sense in me sending them out to one of our contenders. I do not want egg on my face.”

Sheffield Wednesday, as well as League One promotions hopefuls Peterborough, Leeds and Oldham, are reported to be interested in Pattison, who was Glenn Roeder's first permanent signing just over a year ago after an initial loan move from Newcastle.

Pattison was on the bench for the first three games following Roeder's departure in January, but he hasn't featured since, although he did play in a behind-closed-doors reserve team match at Chelsea's Cobham training centre on Wednesday.

“I know that Matty is frustrated that he is not in,” said Gunn. “I have spoken to him and said that if there was a club that came in wishing to take him on loan we would have a look at the situation and if it was good for both parties to get him games under his belt.

“But I have said to all the players that if opportunities like that came up we would certainly cover ourselves by having a recall clause in there because we have got eight games ourselves remaining so we need to make sure that Norwich City first and foremost are covered in all the different areas that we need to be covered in.”

Pattison is in a similar boat to former skipper Mark Fotheringham, who also played in the 4-3 defeat at Cobham. Neither appears to be in Gunn's plans for the rest of the season, although he insists they are all “available for selection”.

“I am sure the phone will be ringing because clubs are getting to that stage of the season now, nitty-gritty situations where they might just be looking for an injection of players, whether that's at this level, Championship level, or whether it's from the league below,” said Gunn.

“There are lots of teams competing in similar situations to ourselves in promotion battles and everyone will be looking for that little spark, but we have to make sure we cover ourselves here and we have got enough bodies that will certainly take us through the next batch of games and cover us for the last four or five games of the season which will come in April.”

Killen is back training with his parent club Celtic after falling down the pecking order at Carrow Road, but remains contracted to the Canaries. The New Zealander, who has made just four appearances as a substitute for City since moving south in the January transfer window, has a young family who are still living in Scotland and is expected to be given more playing opportunities in behind-closed-door games.

While Norwich are still paying his wages, Gunn can call upon him whenever he wants should he find himself short of options up front.

“We still have call on him in the next eight games,” said Gunn. “It is a convenient thing to do, compassionate thing.

“Chris has been frustrated at the lack of opportunities, mainly because of the fitness of Carl Cort in the last month - I don't think we realised how much Carl would be available - and other strikers who have come in, the likes of Cody McDonald and Alan Gow, who are now in front of him in my thinking.

“It is an opportunity for him to go back and train but to come back should we need him. It's better than him travelling around the country every weekend and watching from the stands.”