Team News | Kovačević back in training ahead of FA Cup fixture

Norwich City head coach Philippe Clement confirmed that goalkeeper Vladan Kovačević is back in training ahead of Saturday's Emirates FA Cup game at home to West Bromwich Albion.

Norwich City head coach Philippe Clement confirmed that goalkeeper Vladan Kovačević is back in training ahead of Saturday's Emirates FA Cup game at home to West Bromwich Albion.

The goalkeeper missed Tuesday night's 3-0 win away to Oxford United, with Clement confirming his availability for tomorrow's fixture at Carrow Road.

"Vlad is back in training, he's close to fitness. He can be available for tomorrow, or if we decide to wait on his fitness. Luckily, there is no more injuries. Amankwah Forson is back in training with the group. We want to build him, as we need to make him stronger and more robust. That's the goal for us. Sam Field is eligible, despite playing in the previous round for QPR.

"Jovon Makama had his surgery this week and everything went well. There's a screw in his foot and he's recovering well. The surgeon I know quite well, he is the son of the president from Club Brugge."

The head coach also spoke about Mohamed Touré's impact, having scored a hat-trick away to Oxford.

"Mo is not someone i need to manage a lot, he's quiet and introverted. The day before Oxford, the players had to do their initiation song and Mo wasn't up to it! He's very humble and wants to learn.

"He's recognising the stuff he needs to work on. He's working on the details to get better and he's hungry to get better. We're really happy with what he did in the game but also with the team.

"It's how the team is performing, how the team is now getting better and better in good positions and being more decisive in this last pass that our strikers come in in better positions to score goals. The better we will play, the better the life of our striker will have and the more goals they will score. But I want to see goals out of all the positions, so not only to be focused on strikers."

Clement also spoke about the run of games coming, with the desire to win still there despite the change in competition.

"It has nothing to do with cup competition or league. It's not playing for three points, but to qualify. We have to make these decisions every three days because it's impossible with the same players to play, every three days, 90 minutes. So there's always a lot of discussions with the performance staff. knowledge they give me or the medical staff and also with my assistants around that, with who to start, who to be on the bench, what changes we expect before the game to make.

"I always try to plan things as much as possible before, so that's going to be the case now, that's going to be the case next week. So it's nothing to do with the cup competition, but you need to manage the load of the players and for sure in the situation that the group is for the moment."

On the visitors, Clement also spoke about West Brom and the threats they will pose on Saturday afternoon, as well as speaking about the Canaries' recent 5-0 win over the Baggies.

"I think it will be a totally different game. I think they played one game with a back five and then they stopped doing that and they start to play a different system so that changes things.

"I expect a totally different game than we had at West Brom and we played a really good game, took our moments. The result was 5-0 and that's a really good result in away game, but we had also spells that they hurt us, they hit the posts, they had also chances.

"I don't expect a free ride tomorrow, for sure. We need to show really good quality to qualify to the next round, that is our ambition. I've heard in the past that people said that the FA Cup was not so important. I don't want to hear that and I don't want to see that tomorrow.

"It's about creating this winning culture to want to win everything. And in the cup, you can do amazing things and create amazing memories with the squad."