Norwich City head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup has retained the XI that beat Watford 4-1 for the Canaries' meeting with Derby County this afternoon.

City are hoping to retain their momentum after a first home win of the campaign, and Thorup has trusted continuity in that pursuit.

He's decline the temptation to bring Anis Ben Slimane in for his first start in yellow and green, despite the midfielder's recovery from a muscular ailment. He makes the bench, wherefrom he impressed in the 1-0 defeat of Coventry last month.

Brad Hills returns to the first-team bench after a start for Alan Neilson's under-21s on Tuesday, joined by Kaide Gordon and Gabriel Forsyth.

Onel Hernandez is absent after sustaining a hamstring injury in that Watford win, with the expected time frame for his return around 10 weeks according to Thorup.

Liam Gibbs is set for a similar lay-off after damaging his own hamstring in training, his latest blow after a quad injury kept him out of play-off contention last term.

Jacob Sorensen is still recovering from a foot issue, but is expected to be fit before Ashley Barnes (calf) and Christian Fassnacht (Achilles). Tony Springett’s back injury will keep him out until Christmas.

Former Norwich academy prospect Ebou Adams starts for the hosts.

Derby County: Widell Zetterstrom (GK), Forsyth, Cashin, Osborn, Yates, Mendez-Laing (C), Goudmijn, Jackson, Nyambe, Adams, Nelson. SUBS: Vickers (GK), Wilson, Bradley, Collins, Phillips, Harness, Blackett-Taylor, Chirewa, Brown.

Norwich City: Gunn; Fisher, Duffy, Cordoba, Doyle; McLean, Nunez, Schwartau; Crnac, Sainz, Sargent. SUBS: Long (GK), Stacey, Hanley, Chrisene, Forson, Slimane, Gordon, Hills, Forsyth.

Referee: Oliver Langford