David Norris could be back in time to cover for Grant Leadbitter's one-match suspension after Saturday's Championship game at Scunthorpe was frozen off.

David Norris could be back in time to cover for Grant Leadbitter's one-match suspension after Saturday's Championship game at Scunthorpe was frozen off.

Leadbitter, along with Jon Walters, will now serve a ban for five yellow cards in Saturday's visit to Crystal Palace.

Norris was not considered match fit enough to be considered for the game at Glanford Park after suffering a serious knee injury in the opening game of the season at Coventry City.

But he came through an hour of a friendly match against Luton last Tuesday and according to manager Roy Keane is itching to get back into first team action.

“David was not ready for the weekend, but he has trained well,” said Keane. “He will have to fight for his place back like everybody else.”

Striker Stern John, who was a likely starting partner for Jon Stead up front against Scunthorpe, is unable to play at Selhurst Park as he is on loan from Palace.

This will mean a certain amount of head scratching for Keane over Christmas week, as the Town boss looks to plot an 11th successive game without defeat.

Tamas Priskin, Pablo Counago and Connor Wickham will come into the reckoning to face Palace who have two ex-Town forwards in their squad in Alan Lee and Darren Ambrose.

The latter has been in sparkling form for most of the campaign and found the net when the Eagles won at Portman Road earlier in the season.