City boss Paul Lambert has repeated his insistence that he will not bring in a new face before next week's loan deadline just for the sake of it.

After failing in a bid to sign �3m-rated Peterborough striker Craig Mackail-Smith, the promotion-chasing Canaries have until 5pm on Thursday to add to their senior squad for the Championship run-in.

'I can bring a name in for the sake of bringing somebody in but I'm not going to do it,' said Lambert, who currently has two strikers injured on the sidelines.

'I've tried loads and loads but people don't want to come out for reasons known to themselves.

'I can go and get somebody who maybe won't make a difference. What's the point? When we're going as well as we are, I've got every faith in the lads that if nobody comes in we'll give it everything we've got.

'But it's not for the lack of trying that we haven't got anybody in. We've done everything we can.

'I'll only bring people in I think can do something.

'I don't care what anybody else thinks. They can throw names about, it's my opinion.'

The Mackail-Smith asking price was too high for the Canaries, added the City boss.

'The club can't afford it. That's the way it goes,' he said – and was not prepared to speculate on whether he would renew his interest in the Peterborough player in the close season.

'I don't know what's going to happen in the summer. I never look that far forward,' he said.

Aaron Wilbraham was ruled out of today's Championship game at Hull, after missing Monday's 3-1 win over Bristol City.

'It's just a back problem, but it is a blow,' said Lambert.

Fellow striker Chris Martin, who has missed six matches with a hamstring problem, is still not fit to return, but a fortnight's break after the Hull game should leave him closer to a comeback.

'He's doing OK. He's been out for over a month now so I hope he's not too far away from coming back,' said Lambert.