The description of Carrow Road as a 'living room' may have left with Daniel Farke, but the idea remains more than two years after his Norwich City exit.

Current head coach David Wagner is hoping for the same home comforts his compatriot regularly cited this weekend, as the Canaries look to boost their Championship play-off push against Sunderland.

For Wagner the stadium's role is that of a relaxing night on the sofa after a long week at work, something to remove the frustration of a period that's gone against him.

Injury setbacks for Shane Duffy, Marcelino Nunez and Onel Hernandez, the latter's season-ending, have made it a tumultuous time at the Lotus Training Centre, but a return to NR1 could quieten those concerns.

Edging three points closer to the ultimate goal of play-off qualification is the prize, and City's recent home record suggests they're in a good position to do so.

"We're confident playing at home," said Wagner. "I love playing at home, especially with the circumstances we faced this week. Our support can be our 12th man, and the energy we need.

"The most credit goes to the players for what they've done, and obviously the supporters as well with the atmosphere they created in the last home game as well.

"But nobody should take it for granted. Every single point, every single game was very hard work. To keep the mindset going when we cross the white line we have to be open to working hard again, being super aggressive, super sharp.

"We have to be open to the dirty work as well, and then get the energy from the stands. Then I think we have everything to win another match. This is exactly the mentality we have when it turns three o'clock, in the stands and on the grass as well.

"This is what we will prepare our team for, then hopefully we can extend our home record, which is good."

This afternoon's visitors have also had their fair share of fitness issues, with key man and top goalscorer Jack Clarke out for six weeks with an ankle injury. Interim Sunderland head coach Mike Dodds admitted pre-match that his winger's absence was a "crushing blow".

Wagner knows he still has a serious test on his hands, however, as he looks to beat a side that came out comfortable 3-1 winners in the reverse fixture.

"We are totally aware of the quality Sunderland has," he said. "I think we've seen that in the return game, where they caused us massive problems and we conceded a deserved defeat.

"It's a little bit like the Watford game. We still feel that we'd like to correct something, and this is a chance to show that we are better than what we showed in the first game.

"This is the truth, I said this before the Blackburn game: these are the games where we were below par in the first game, where we didn't collect points. Now we have the chance to show that we're better than in the first game."

Wagner may be keen to avenge his own team's previous results, but he pays no attention to the top-six battle unfolding around him.

Stalwart Kenny McLean admitted before that Blackburn game that he had an eye on the teams around Norwich, but his boss says he's focused solely on the Black Cats.

"You have too much time if you think about all this stuff! As long as we win I don't care," he continued. "This is why all our focus should be on how everyone can play their part to prepare the team as well as they can.

"This is what my thoughts are, and only Sunderland. Everything else that comes later or happens in other stadiums isn't for me.

"Everyone can do what they want to, but I can tell you from my experience that I'll be focused only on the things that you can affect. The only thing that we can affect is the game."