PAUL Lambert will assess the fitness of left-back Adam Drury ahead of Saturday's League One encounter with Brentford at Carrow Road (3pm).

The 31-year-old got a knock to his ankle in last weekend's 5-0 win over promotion rivals Colchester United and has been receiving treatment this week.

Lambert said: "He was feeling better yesterday. We'll have to see how he's feeling today. Adam's been absolutely terrific since I've been here. Colossal for me that's for sure.

"He's one of those ones that you don't need to say that much to him and you get the same level of consistency week in, week out, he's been brilliant - very good."

Drury remains the only concern after the game with the U's, with the only other absentee being Jens Berthel Askou who is continuing his rehabilitation from a broken metatarsal.

The City boss confirmed Michael Spillane has returned to first team training after an absence of three months with a hamstring injury and now needs to build his fitness before returning to action.

"He's been training with us the last few days which is pleasing," said Lambert. "He'll need some fitness and maybe some reserve games. So hopefully he won't be too far away."

Tomorrow's game gives the Canaries the opportunity to go top of the table with Leeds in FA Cup action a City win would catapult them into first place on goal difference - and although the City boss has top place firmly in his sights he also has his feet firmly on the floor:

"You'd rather be up there looking down, but all you can do is eat away at Leeds' lead. I think people get carried away really because of what we've done and the run we're on, people think it's all going to keep going. But I'm too long in the game to ever be complacent.

"We've done absolutely brilliant to put ourselves in a position where we're in amongst it, but people shouldn't be carried away. We're going really well at the Football Club which is really pleasing and the fans are coming in their thousands to watch us."

Asked if the bid for the top would mean extra pressure on his side, the Scot replied: "Wherever you sit in this league or any league there's always pressure at this Club. People say about managing the expectation level. I think it should be there because of the amount of people who come and watch you - and away from home the fanbase coming who have to travel hundreds of miles to get to places and filling out the allocation, which is extraordinary.

"And at home you get the feeling it's a proper football club. As I've said if Manchester United came here tomorrow you couldn't get any more in the ground unless you build another tier. The fanbase is extraordinary and we'll do everything we can to try and give them something back."

A win against the Bees on Saturday would also spell 10 home victories in a row for City, equalling the record set in one season back in 1985-86, which saw the Canaries win the Division Two Championship.

"First and foremost on our mind is to win the game," he said. "If that happens and the record that is great, but you get nothing for winning a record. You've got to be up and around it in May. It's great getting these accolades but ultimately you want to win something, you want to try and win the league."

He continued on his side's positive league position: "Charlton had a major lead against us at the beginning and we've clawed that right back. If you'd told me when I first came in that I'd be sitting second in January having overtaken Charlton I'd have taken your hand off for it and that's what we've done. And the next thing is to try and pull Leeds back into the equation and they're in amongst it now, so it's interesting.

"The lads deserve an incredible amount of credit for what they've done. They are the ones that have turned it round and I've got a group of lads who are on top of their game and entertaining people as well, which is important. If you can get players and fans going in the same direction you've got a chance."

The two sides met in both the league and Johnstone's Paint Trophy early on in the season - the August league encounter at Griffin Park seeing the Canaries beaten 2-1 with a newly-appointed Paul Lambert watching in the stands. The City boss said:

"There's miles difference from the personnel then and I'm sure for Brentford it's the same, no you can't compare what happened then to what's happening now."

The Bees come to Carrow Road unbeaten in their last five league matches, including draws with City's promotion rivals Leeds and Charlton. But a narrow FA Cup defeat to Championship Doncaster Rovers on Tuesday night means Paul Lambert is expecting a tough encounter with Andy Scott's side tomorrow: "I'm sure they'll be down about getting knocked out. To be fair Doncaster are a good side and in a league above.

"So this will be a hard game, every game is hard. It's tough when you're at home and the onus is on you to make the running, but we've handled it for a long while and it's the same tomorrow and we have to go and try and win the game."