Brighton and Norwich City face each other at the AMEX on Saturday. Dean Smith talked to the media on Friday April 1st and discussed his sides team news and the game itself.
- Norwich City injury update
The Canaries have a number of concerns going into the game with Josh Sargent, Adam Idah, Andrew Omobamidele, Max Aarons, Ozan Kabak and Brandon Williams all subject to update from Dean Smith.
He said: "The boot was precautionary. He (Josh Sargent) rolled his ankle on training on Tuesday but we will see how he is today (Friday)."
Norwich City's longer term injured players are still out with Smith also revealing: "We have got the long-term injuries with Adam (Idah) and Andrew (Omobamidele)."
"Ozan Kabak picked up a hamstring injury in his game against Italy (for Turkey) and he looks like he is going to be out long term."
Smith finished the injury update with news on full backs Brandon Williams and Max Aarons:
"Brandon (Williams) and Max (Aarons) both got injured against Leeds. Brandon has been back on the grass, but the game might come too soon for him. Max felt his hamstring against Leeds and has been out since then."
- Individual performances and shot conversion need to improve
Brighton have lost their last six games but when discussing the fixture Smith explained that he believes it's about what his side do and how they play as opposed to any perceived weaknesses in the opposition:
The Norwich manager said: " They are a good team. Graham (Potter) has been there a couple of years now and done really well. It is a tough game for us. They are on the back of a bad run, but I think the days are gone where we have to worry about what the opposition are going to do. It is about what we are going to do and it is about concentrating on ourselves."
“I have said before that we have been over reliant on Teemu Pukki and we need goals from other areas of the pitch. We have to go and create chances and the other players have to stand up and be counted and go and help out Teemu in terms of goal returns."
“We have been creating chances, it is the conversion rate that needs to improve. If we convert the chances that we are getting, then we can be on the right side of results. That is something that we have been working on in the last three weeks.”
Embed from Getty Images Dean Smith knows that Norwich are far too reliant on Teemu Pukki when it comes to goal scoring. Getty Images: Matthew Ashton AMA.
A tactic from Dean Smith to get more from his players has been to offer them days off as incentive for good performances and results but the manager revealed that he was "not happy" after the defeat at Leeds and as a result had them in for training over the international break.
“The players have had to earn their days off. I was not happy with the game against Leeds. Normally the players will probably see their friends or rest themselves up, but they have had to earn their days off and they have. They have worked hard and we will go into the Brighton game now and we will try and put things right".