Key players Wes Hoolahan and Ivo Pinto have the chance to step up their returns to fitness as they return to Norwich City’s starting line-up for this evening’s Carabao Cup first round clash with Swindon Town.

Head coach Daniel Farke has been true to his word in naming a strong side for the Carrow Road encounter against the League Two side, making three changes to the team which started Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Fulham in the Championship.

Hoolahan came on in the 80th minute and set up Nelson Oliveira’s equaliser after missing most of pre-season but Pinto was an unused substitute after a hamstring issue wrecked his pre-season.

New signing Christoph Stiepermann makes the bench but Tom Trybull is not yet ready to be involved, while Oliveira not involved after scoring the equaliser at Craven Cottage and controversially celebrating by holding his shirt up to Farke.

Captain Russell Martin drops to the bench due to a foot problem and experienced forward Steven Naismith serves the last match of his suspension, while longer term injury victims Timm Klose (leg), Alex Pritchard (ankle), Matt Jarvis (ankle) and Louis Thompson (Achilles) all remain unavailable.

The Robins were relegated to League Two last season and brought in former Barnsley and Bury boss David Flitcroft as manager, starting the season with a 2-1 win at Carlisle United on Saturday.

Goals from Luke Norris and Paul Mullin earned that win but former Gillingham striker Norris misses out with a shoulder issue, which gives Millwall loanee Harry Smith another chance to impress having replaced his team-mate after 34 minutes at Carlisle.

Midfielder Donal McDermott misses out with a strained ligament in his foot and striker Kaiyne Woolery, signed for £350,000 from Wigan Athletic earlier today, is not yet available for selection.

It is the first time the Canaries have entered the competition – which they won in 1962 and 1985 – in the first round since the 2010-11 season, when Paul Lambert’s side won 4-1 at home to Gillingham thanks to braces from Grant Holt and Chris Martin.

Last season City impressively won 2-0 at Everton to progress to the fourth round, before losing on penalties at Leeds after a 2-2 draw.

Norwich have never played Swindon in the League Cup before. The last time the sides met was in March 2010 in League One, in a 1-1 draw at the County Ground, when Gordon Greer scored a late equaliser for the hosts to cancel out Grant Holt’s opener.

Norwich: Gunn; Pinto, Zimmermann, Franke, Husband; Reed; Hoolahan (C), Maddison, Vrancic, Murphy; Jerome. Subs: McGovern (GK), Martin, Watkins, Wildschut, Stiepermann, Godfrey, Tettey.

Swindon: Vigouroux; Purkiss, Lancashire (C), Robertson, Hussey; Mullin, Thomas, Dunne, Tom Smith, Brophy; Harry Smith. Subs: Henry (GK), Young, Twine, Iandolo,

Referee: Geoff Eltringham (County Durham)

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