Norwich City’s next opponents are hoping to have a new manager in place when they arrive at Carrow Road next Saturday.

Scunthorpe United, second from bottom of the Championship, have drawn up a short list of four possible replacements for Ian Baraclough, sacked 10 days ago.

Bury boss Alan Knill, a former Scunthorpe captain, and Kilmarnock manager Mixu Paatelainen, are among the names linked with the vacancy.

Knill appears to have distanced himself from the job, however, and though the Iron are understood to have been given permission to talk to Paatelainen, it is unclear whether the Finn can be lured away from Kilmarnock after taking them to fifth in the Scottish Premier League.

The initial favourite, former Glanford Park boss Brian Laws, is understood not to have been among the 40 applicants the club considered at a board meeting. Laws was axed by Burnley in December.

“We have drawn up a short list and there are four people on it,” said Scunthorpe chairman Steve Wharton.

“The process of carrying out interviews is now ongoing.”

Wharton is hoping the new man will be appointed in time to take charge against a City side in second place in the Championship and beaten just twice in the past 24 league games.