Norwich City have made five changes for this evening's clash with Manchester United, with Poland winger Przemek Placheta getting a surprise first Premier League start.

Placheta comes on to the left wing in a move back to a 4-3-3 formation, with Josh Sargent returning on the right as Adam Idah drops to the bench.

Ozan Kabak comes into central defence in place of Ben Gibson and Dimitris Giannoulis replaces loanee Brandon Williams at left-back, who isn't allowed to face his parent club.

Lukas Rupp also comes back into midfield in place of Pierre Lees-Melou, in the fifth change from the team that started the 3-0 defeat at Tottenham last Sunday.

Gibson and Andrew Omobamidele drop out of the squad totally, with Dean Smith having said there were Covid-19 doubts about some players ahead of the game, so under-23s defender Jonathan Tomkinson comes onto the bench.

Sam Byram is also on the bench and involved for the first time since his injury nightmare began in February 2020, making up the numbers and unlikely to come on.

Christos Tzolis also drops out of the squad and is thought to have tested positive for coronavirus.

The Canaries are looking to move off the bottom of the Premier League and United are trying to keep pace with the top four, after both recently changed head coach.

Norway midfielder Mathias Normann misses a third game but is close to returning from a pelvis problem and could return when Aston Villa visit on Tuesday.

Kosovo winger Milot Rashica has also missed the last two matches, with a groin injury, and is hoping to return later this month.

Norwich go into the game with centre-back Christoph Zimmermann set to return early next year after ankle surgery last month.

Full-back Byram is training fully but is continuing his careful comeback with the under-23s after 18 months out due to two hamstring operations.

The visitors arrive looking to keep pace with the top four after winning Ralf Rangnick's first match last Sunday, 1-0 at home to Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

They return to that starting XI with star names including Cristiano Ronaldo, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho returning to the league line-up.

The German made 11 changes on Wednesday night as a 1-1 draw with Young Boys at Old Trafford confirmed United as Group F winners in the Champions League, with progress already sealed.

Five-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo has played at Carrow Road once before, in April 2005, coming on in the 22nd minute of a shock 2-0 Premier League defeat to the Canaries.

Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani was pushing for a recall after over a month out with tendon problems but remains out alongside defender Raphael Varane (hamstring) and forward Anthony Martial (knee).

Fellow France international Paul Pogba (hamstring) is also still out, with right-back Aarons Wan-Bissaka and midfielder Nemanja Matic (illness) also missing.

- You can see our reporters discuss the teams in the video above

NORWICH (4-3-3): Krul; Aarons, Hanley (C), Kabak, Giannoulis; Rupp, Gilmour, McLean; Sargent, Pukki, Placheta. Subs: Gunn (GK), Tomkinson, Byram, Mumba, Sorensen, Lees-Melou, Cantwell, Dowell, Idah

MAN UTD (4-2-2-2): De Gea; Dalot, Lindelof, Maguire (C), Telles; McTominay, Fred; Fernandes, Sancho; Rashford, Ronaldo. Subs: Henderson (GK), Heaton (GK), Bailly, Jones, Shaw, Lingard, van de Beek, Greenwood, Elanga

REFEREE: Darren England

VAR: John Brooks

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