Whilst many fans up and down the county will bemoan the November international break, I suspect that many Norwich City fans, like myself, would welcome a much longer break to allow more time for bodies to rejoin our depleted squad.

This is not an unfamiliar scenario for Norwich City; at this point last season, we were missing Josh Sargent, Angus Gunn, Ashley Barnes, and others, which saw us plummet to the lower depths of the Championship table. A story that has also been played out this time around.

As with last season, the form, or lack of, is largely down to a simple subtraction sum surrounding the unavailable players. If any side were missing their number one keeper, their midfield duo, and their first-choice striker, then results would see a certain dip.

Barnes and Onel Hernandez have also been significant losses over the past few weeks. Barnes brings a level of experience and cunning that’s unmatched within our young squad, a point highlighted in the post-match scene after the Cardiff City game, where the frustrated Shane Duffy likened the team’s game management to children’s football.

As for Hernandez, his relentless energy and drive to break down opposing defences would have been invaluable throughout October and November. Whatever your understanding of what these two players bring, one gets us up the pitch and the other often keeps the ball up there.

This situation feels like Groundhog Day - just like last season, Sargent is sidelined until January, leaving a gap up front. On his return, Hernandez could be the makeshift centre forward for the interim due to his combination of pace and power, which can unsettle opposition backlines and give them something to worry about. It has become apparent that Ante Črnac is better suited on the right, at least when asked to play as a lone striker at this stage of his development.

Hernandez's ability to press high and exploit defensive weaknesses makes him a possible temporary solution. His directness can energise the attack and keep us competitive during Sargent’s absence, providing the edge they need in critical matches against the division's contenders over the next few weeks, notably West Brom, Burnley, and Sunderland.

The cavalry will need to arrive soon, and until then, Callum Doyle and Kellen Fisher will need to be on their best behaviour, with both full-backs one game away from a one-match suspension.

There are four games left before all players are set back to zero and given a clean slate.

It would be interesting to see if Johannes Hoff Thorup is prepared to shuffle the deck to bring more solidity to his side. I’d be quite excited to see us switch to a back three from the start when we travel to The Hawthorns next week.

Shuffling Doyle alongside Duffy and Josè Cordoba would present three central defenders that no centre forward would relish playing against. It would also allow us to welcome the experience of Jack Stacey and the impressive Ben Chrisene as wing backs. Doyle would still be able to join the attack, as many wider centre halves do in sides that play this shape, and as no player has more assists than the Manchester City loanee this season, we would be wise to allow that.

Thorup could also choose three from Fisher, Emiliano Marcondes, Ben Anis Slimane, Jacob Sorensen, Amankwah Forson, Oscar Schwartau and, hopefully, Marcelino Nunez, who is also one booking away from an instant return to the sidelines. With a decent number of players to select from, this would also present an opportunity to keep things fresh with seven games in just 28 days.

If we were to play this way, Borja Sainz and Črnac could work together to lead the line. I’m sure the City boss has thought of these options; professional managers will always see things quicker than us fans. This will be the Dane’s biggest test of his career to date, and from what we’ve seen so far, I’m confident that he will guide us above the position that we are now by the time Jools Holland is appearing on TV screens across the country.