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STARTING XIs: Vrancic starts for Canaries at Brentford
Mario Vrancic makes his first start of the season for Norwich City Picture: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images - Credit: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd
The match-winning heroics of last week have earned Mario Vrancic his first start of the season, as Norwich City take on Brentford in the Championship this evening.
Vrancic replaces Jordan Hugill, with Teemu Pukki pushing back into the lead striker role, with the Bosnia & Herzegovina international his chief support.
Todd Cantwell has shaken off a hip issue to retain his starting place, Marco Stiepermann returns in place of Josh Martin, who has a back problem, and Jacob Sorensen also makes his first appearance among the substitutes.
City were forced into a late change after Xavi Quintilla pulled up hurt in the warm up, with Sorensen stepping in at left-back, leaving the visitors with six on the bench.
The Canaries are without young striker Adam Idah due to his red card on Saturday, as he begins a three-game ban, while centre-back Christoph Zimmermann is still working on a calf issue which has kept him out for three matches.
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Daniel Farke is expecting to be without full-back Sam Byram (hamstring), midfielder Kieran Dowell (ankle) and winger Onel Hernandez (groin) until January after surgery on their injuries.
The hosts make three changes, with former Canaries winger Sergi Canos dropping to the bench alongside Vitaly Janelt and Charlie Goode, with Emiliano Marcondes, Bryan Mbuemo and Mathias Jensen starting in their place.
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Brentford have made a solid start as they to shake of the hangover of play-off final defeat but slipped to 11th in the early table after a 3-2 defeat at Stoke on Saturday in which they were trailing 3-0 before fighting back in the final 20 minutes.
Having moved into the new Brentford Community Stadium, Thomas Frank’s team have so far beaten Huddersfield and Coventry at home but losing 4-2 to Preston.
The Bees welcome back Macrondes after a two-game injury absence but are without captain Pontus Jansson for a few weeks, who missed the defeat at Stoke. Central midfielders Christian Norgaard and Shandon Baptiste also miss out through injury.
NORWICH (4-2-3-1): Krul; Aarons, Hanley (C), Gibson, Sorensen; Skipp, Rupp; Buendia, Vrancic, Cantwell; Pukki. Subs: McGovern (GK), Tettey, McLean, Stiepermann, Placheta, Hugill
BRENTFORD (4-3-3): Martin; Dalsgaard, Pinnock, Sorensen, Henry; Dasilva, Jensen, Macrondes; Mbuema, Toney, Ghoddos. Subs: Daniels (GK), Thompson, Goode, Canos, Forss, Fosu, Janelt
REFEREE: Jeremy Simpson
