LEFT-BACK Adam Drury is confident that who ever fills in at centre-back this Saturday against Millwall will be committed to continuing City's unbeaten home run.

Ahead of the visit of the Lions on Boxing Day (12.45pm) the Canaries are facing a defensive reshuffle with both Gary Doherty and Jens Berthel Askou missing through suspension and injury respectively, leaving City boss Paul Lambert with only one recognised centre-back in the form of Michael Nelson.

Drury has already filled in once this season against Stockport County and awaits Lambert's decision to who's going to get the nod to help out: "It's not great. One of the things we've had this season is that we haven't had to change the team around too much. But obviously with the games coming up now over Christmas, with a lot of games in a short space of time and with Doc being suspended and Jens injured it's going to be shuffled around a little bit.

"But we've got lads that can fill in there and play centre-half if needed and we just have to go from there, so we'll just have to wait and see what happens and what the gaffer decides to do.

"I know Russell Martin has played there a bit more than I have and Holty's been telling me this morning he can play there, he reckons he was there as a youngster, but I'll doubt that will happen! We just have to wait and see, but I'm sure who ever plays there will do a good job."

Drury agreed that consistency had helped the Canaries form so far this season, but with 46-plus games this campaign it was always going to be tough to get through with no injuries: "Yes, it's been a big part of it, not having to change the team around too much because everyone's been playing so well and the gaffer has been able to name the same team week-in, week-out with the odd change here and there. So it's one of those things it was always going to happen during a long season and I'm sure it will happen again, but hopefully we've got the strength in depth with the players we've got to be able to get on with it."

With over 300 City games now under his belt, the 31-year-old is well-placed to compare the current campaign to previous seasons at Carrow Road, and Drury believes the positivity surrounding the Canaries at present is certainly helping their current success: "The positivity around the ground is fantastic," he said. "Obviously at the minute we're going into games expecting to win every game and we want to carry that on until the end of the season.

"It's a different division but when you look back to how it was when we won the league it's very similar to that, you get that buzz around the place. Saturday we didn't play particularly well in the first half, but then we came out second half got the goal and the place was rocking. I think we expect at the minute to go out and win every game that we play and it's obviously a great feeling rather than going out and playing nervously, we're going out and wanting to play."

Boxing Day opponents Millwall are currently sitting eighth in League One and just a point outside the play-off places. After a good battling result for them last weekend against local rivals Charlton Athletic, Drury is sure they will prove a tough test: "They're up there challenging and trying to get themselves in amongst it. At the minute teams are coming to Carrow Road wanting to put one over us and it's going to be no different this weekend, and they got a great result the other day and that was with 10 men as well, so it's not going to be an easy game for us - but none of them are at the minute."

Drury said although it would be a tough task, the Canaries will be looking to extend their unbeaten home run to 11 games against the Lions on Saturday, as well as using the quick succession of festive games to continue their pressure on Leeds United and Charlton: "No of course you don't want it to stop, but as I think the gaffer has said a few times, we're a scalp for teams at the minute and teams are wanting to come to Carrow Road and be the first team to put one over on us, obviously it makes it harder but we're rising to the challenge at the minute.

"We want to close the gap and put pressure on the top two as much as we can. Like we do every week, we go out to win every game no doubt about it, and it will be no different over the Christmas period."

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