Journalist Stuart Hodge wants to see Billy Gilmour reinstated to the Norwich City starting line-up this weekend alongside Mathias Normann.

Norwich are set to take on Southampton on Saturday in Dean Smith's first game at the helm since replacing Daniel Farke.

What's happened with Gilmour this season?

When Gilmour joined Norwich in July on a season-long loan from Chelsea, it seemed like a sensible move for the youngster to get some regular Premier League football.

However, the Scottish international struggled for opportunities under Farke. After starting four of the opening five leagues matches this term, Gilmour has not played a single minute in the top-flight in over two months.

He will now hope that the managerial switch at Carrow Road could lead to a change in fortunes in terms of playing time.

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What has Hodge said about Gilmour?

Smith will likely want to put his stamp on the team straight away, and that could mean that he makes a number of changes from the side that Farke put out in Norwich's final game before the international break.

Hodge would like to see Gilmour return to the heart of the midfield against Ralph Hasenhuttl's men.

Looking ahead to the start of Smith's reign, Hodge told GIVEMESPORT: “I’ll be interested to see what he does. But, the key thing is, bring Billy Gilmour back into the midfield. Get him alongside Mathias Normann, that’s going to be really exciting for people.”

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Will Gilmour and Normann be a good partnership?

Right now, we don't know the answer to that question. The pair have only played together once in the Premier League, and that was Normann's first appearance in England after his summer move, so it would be harsh to judge their partnership based on that.

Yet Normann has since gone on to be one of Norwich's shining lights this season, and he scored his first goal for the side in his latest outing against Brentford.

Meanwhile, Gilmour may have been left out regularly at club level, but he recently proved his quality for Scotland, starting in their wins over Moldova and Denmark.

Norwich have only picked up five points from their 11 games to date, so Smith needs to change something. Bringing Gilmour back into the fold alongside Normann could give the side a little more control in midfield, which may make Norwich more competitive moving forwards. 

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