Barnett is set to sign a three-and-a-half-year deal at Carrow Road

Norwich City defender Leon Barnett has been handed a two-match ban by the Football Association.

The 25-year-old faced a disciplinary commission on Wednesday after admitting a charge of improper conduct.

Barnett was charged after throwing the ball at referee Simon Hooper following his sending off in a Championship match against Portsmouth earlier this month.

The centre-half has already served a suspension for the initial red card, but will miss City's next two games.

The Canaries are set to turn Barnett's loan deal from West Brom into a permanent switch in January, but the former Luton player will sit out the Boxing Day trip to Crystal Palace and Tuesday's visit of Sheffield United.

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Meanwhile boss Paul Lambert is confident of having midfielder Andrew Crofts back in time for the Palace clash, after the Welshman sat out Saturday's 2-1 defeat of Coventry with a virus.

Full-back Russell Martin and attacking midfielder Wes Hoolahan did not train on Wednesday because of thigh injuries they picked up at the Sky Blues and will be assessed later in the week.

And defenders Adam Drury and Zak Whitbread have returned to training after their own injury problems, but are unlikely to be risked at Selhurst Park.

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