Dean Smith is drawing up contingency plans to cope with fresh fitness and Covid concerns, but it is his Manchester United dossier that may be of more benefit to Norwich City.
Smith confirmed on Friday his matchday squad would depend on the results of PCR negative tests for two of his squad, who had complained of feeling unwell in the last couple of days.
Christos Tzolis is believed to have now tested positive for Covid and will undergo a period of self-isolation that rules him out of selection.
Mathias Normann (pelvic) and Milot Rashica (groin) are again definitely absent, while Smith reported other injury concerns on the eve of battle.
Far from ideal preparation to face Cristiano Ronaldo and company, although the City chief did guide former club Aston Villa to a Premier League win at Old Trafford earlier this season.
“The build-up been a little bit messy and a little bit untidy. But to be fair, the lads have been good in how they have responded,” said the City boss. “We have almost had to draw up two different plans, depending on who will actually be available.
"It's a difficult situation, but it's one that we've been going through for quite a long time in football.
"I certainly keep my notes from any win that I have had in my career. But it will be a different challenge. I've got a different set of players, Manchester United have got a new manager so there's going to be a lot of differences.
"But the thing that myself and Craig (Shakespeare) will actually tell the players is that this team is beatable, if we play to our levels.”
Ralf Rangnick takes charge of his second Premier League game since replacing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and the urgency with which he had United pressing Crystal Palace on his Old Trafford bow last week did not go unnoticed by Smith.
"You have to know where your out balls are, you have to have an understanding of how to beat the press,” he said. “Coming into football you learn there is only ever three ways of getting through a team. That's passing through them, going around them or going over them. There's no other way I know of so it is realising which one of those will be the right way at the weekend.
“It will take a really good defensive performance, and it has to be that to keep a player like Cristiano (Ronaldo) quiet. He can score all kinds of goals as we have seen, not just this season, but over the last 12 or 15 seasons. Our players will certainly have to be at their best in order for us to produce a good defensive performance.”
Smith knows all about the revolving managerial door after his own recent Villa exit and appointment as City boss eight days later.
“They are packed with superstars. We all know that. Manchester United is a massive name across the world. But they brought in a real top coach to work with real top players,” said Smith. “I was saddened to hear that Ole lost his job because I knew what the football club meant to him.
"But like myself, we know what football is about and with Ralph coming in already, you can see an identity and what he wants to bring to that team.
“You'll see certainly signs of the identity that he will bring, and top players adapt very quickly, and they've got top players within their squad.
"We saw in his first game against (Crystal) Palace certain tactical tweaks from a new manager coming in, and I would fully expect a few more obviously with the week that they have had leading into this game.
"Many of the players you expect to be involved did not feature against Young Boys (in the Champions League), so they have had a full week’s training.”
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