It's crunch time for Norwich City this week, as Johannes Hoff Thorup ramps up his pre-season preparations with a trip to Austria.

The Canaries will face Bundesliga side Hoffenheim in their penultimate warm-up game of the summer, but they've already flown out to start a mini training camp.

Thorup aims to use the camp to narrow down his playing squad, deciding who's ready for an assault on the Championship and who fall by the wayside for the 2024-25 campaign.

He was open about the mission after a 1-0 defeat to Magdeburg at Carrow Road, admitting that it was a big week for the new regime at Carrow Road.

"It's a trip for us that's so much about finding the core of the team, starting to build the relationships between the players who we think should start the first game at Oxford," he said.

"We'll give them more minutes together than [against Magdeburg]. It's decision time for us in Austria, where we'll get some answers but also take some final decisions."

Part of the sifting process has already taken place, with young players dropping out of the first-team group to play for City's under-21s. The Dane knows decisions will have to be made, but could still have his mind changed.

"We are getting closer," he added. "But like I said at the beginning of the pre-season, we have to give them a fair chance, to see what's best for them.

"When we have meetings around how the team should look, we need to find what's best for the player. Is it to be the fourth or the fifth choice, or is it to go on loan somewhere and to play every weekend?

"We have to get close to these decisions next week in Austria. But it can change fast. What is important for us is that in one week we sit down and have a conversation about how the squad should look for the next six months.

"There are some important decisions for us to take, but it's also important to give game minutes to these guys so that we have some background to discuss.

"That's important. I will not make any final calls now."