Never doubt Teemu Pukki is David Wagner’s message, as he backs his Norwich City striker to fire over the Championship run-in.

Pukki was hooked for Abu Kamara in the closing stages of a 1-0 weekend defeat to Sheffield United that continued a miserable run in front of goal for the Finnish international.

The 33-year-old’s brace at Preston in Wagner’s first league match in charge remain his only goals this year.

Pukki, Josh Sargent and Adam Idah have been unable to hit the goal trail in recent weeks, and Wagner knows it is a pressing issue ahead of Good Friday’s trip to Blackburn.

“We don't have to doubt the quality of Teemu,” said the City chief, on the forward who is out of contract this summer. “It was obviously not his best day. If this the case then you react and try to bring on fresh legs.

Norwich Evening News: David WagnerDavid Wagner (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

"There were no clear situations for our strikers where you say, ‘Come on, this is the situation where you should have done it better, and you should have taken this’. I can remember a few situations since I'm here and we had some opportunities at home.

“But obviously he, as well as a few of our offensive players, were not able to produce something and we have to make sure that we work hard with them, and hopefully with our support we'll do this in the future.

"In the last two games we were not able to break down two good opponents.”

Wagner warns there is no quick fix to solving City’s goal shortage.

“The only thing what we now can do is try to work as hard as we can on the grass to get the individuals in the positions to be more dangerous,” he said. “We also have to work hard in our treatment room as well to get the injured players in the best possible shape that can help us.

“We didn't have the quality in the final third in the offensive areas (against Sheffield United) to really create something. This is the truth as well. I think this was the difference.

"Offensively they were able to create more chances, they had more of the harmony on the pitch, and we were technically not good enough and a little bit sloppy.”