Norwich City have been handed a huge fitness boost, with Jose Cordoba's knee injury less serious than originally feared.

The centre-back was forced off at half time in the Canaries' 1-1 draw with Leeds United on Tuesday, prompting panic after a non-contact issue meant a defensive reshuffle for Johannes Hoff Thorup.

The City head coach delivered a positive bulletin at his press conference, however, with Cordoba potentially involved in tomorrow's clash with Hull.

"Better than expected," Thorup said. "So he'll most likely be in the squad. It will be a late call for us, but we will try, and hopefully he will be in.

"Of course it was good for us, and also for him. There's a decision to be made on if he can play and, if we're going to play him, how much. We have to see him tomorrow.

"[Whether he goes on international duty with Panama next week] is a call for us to take after the game. We'll see how everything goes."

One absentee who certainly won't feature is Ashley Barnes, whose recovery from an Achilles injury received another setback when he returned to a protective boot.

Thorup mapped out a timeline for the striker's return, but admitted he had sympathy with him after nearly four months out.

"I don't think surgery, but it will be three weeks for him in the boot," he continued, asked about Barnes. "We are in week two now, so hopefully after that he will feel better and we can put him out there on the grass.

"Then after a couple of weeks he'll hopefully be back with the team, and then he needs to be back in shape before he can be ready for game selection. So it will take some time.

"To get a 100pc honest answer you have to talk to him about it. But it's never easy for a football player to be out, because you feel, no matter what we do, a bit outside of the team.

"You are not involved in the fun parts, which are the games and the feeling around the changing room. But he's a good guy, and he's always around, trying to support his team-mates and the team."