CITY boss Glenn Roeder fully expects assistant Lee Clark to leave for Newcastle United one day - but not as a coach under King Kev.

With Kevin Keegan restored to the St James' Park hot-seat in midweek, there was plenty of media speculation linking Clark with a return to the north east as part of his former manager's backroom team.

Roeder, who was manager of Newcastle himself only last season, believes Clark has it in him to one day return to his roots as the number one man at the Magpies, but did not think going back as coach this soon would help his cause.

All the same, was it unsettling for the Canaries' manager to see such an integral part of his staff linked with a move away?

"For me, no," said Roeder, in relaxed mood at Friday's press conference ahead of the big Championship clash with Leicester City.

"Because I know Lee Clark. And I'm sure if had he had an approach he would have told me. We've got a very open relationship. He knows me as a person and knows how I would react and how I would be and I didn't even have to touch the subject.

"He was here this morning and I expect him to be at the end of the season. He wants to be a manager one day, which I like. He has got ambition. He's the assistant manager here at Norwich City. He's great friends with Alan Shearer and played for Kevin Keegan. He's got huge, huge admiration for Kevin.

"But I've told him and I firmly believe this - and I'm not just saying this to look after myself - that if he wants to manager, and his dream is to manage Newcastle United one day, to go back as a coach with Alan when he manages the club, which he will do, or goes back as a first team coach with Kevin, that is not the route to become the manager of Newcastle one day. Because if either of those managers failed or moved on he would be moved on as well. You don't become the manager of Newcastle United as a failed coach."

In short, Clark is much better placed learning how to become a manager under Roeder at Colney than he would be returning to Newcastle where his day-to-day involvement would be solely based on the training pitches, rather than in an office learning the finer points of being the boss.

"He's got a projected life plan and the freedom he has here as assistant manager, calling on me, calling on my experience when he wants to - he can pick the telephone up whenever he wants with his title as assistant manager and any manager in the country will pick the phone up to Lee," added Roeder. "So he's on his learning curve and I don't believe if he goes back to Newcastle in just a coaching capacity he will have that facility to learn to be a manager which he will get here. He knows that. He's an intelligent lad."

With the Clark link firmly at the back of his mind, Roeder is concentrating on preparing his side to put their FA Cup humiliation at Bury behind them when the Foxes arrive at Carrow Road this weekend.

Ian Holloway's improving side lay just one point behind the Canaries, making the fixture an important one in the battle against the drop. And while Roeder was hoping for the right response following the 2-1 loss at Gigg Lane, he was not dwelling on the no-show by his players.

"I said to them at the team meeting yesterday we could go through that game bit by bit and all we would get is negatives out of it," said Roeder. "And I didn't think any positives would come out of it. It was just one of those games unfortunately we've just got to zip up, as much as it hurt, and forget about it.

"We've now got bigger fish to fry. Coining what Harry Redknapp says, that's the reason they put rubbers on the end of pencils. To rub things out that weren't good. He was talking about his move to Southampton.

"That was one of those nights and, hands in the air, we didn't play well in either game. We can't dwell on that, we haven't got time to dwell. The games are coming up. League games and three points at stake. We now need to start the second good run that I spoke about. I think we've had six wins, five draws and three defeats since I came to the Club. That's 23 points. And we need another run of 23 points with this next batch of games. Then we'll be sitting in a different position to where we are now. And thank goodness we did have that run. It doesn't even bear thinking about had we not.

"It just makes you realise how well they've done to climb four points above the bottom three. And it's relentless. It's a relentless march and a relentless slog. There's no bigger game than the one coming up at the weekend with them sitting a point below us. And we've got to go there soon as well so we've got to make sure we win this game."

Roeder has no new injury worries to report, Ched Evans able to feature again after missing the midweek FA Cup game under the terms of his loan from Manchester City.