Norwich City v Huddersfield Town: Darren Moore chases short-term results for long-term progress - but not at risk of goalkeeper's health

Chris Maxwell will deputise for Nicholls at Norwich City on Saturday after the first-choice goalkeeper suffered concussion for the second time this season. It could keep him out of most if not all of the Festive programme, with Moore determined to put Nicholls' health above his need for points to pull away from the Championship relegation battle.

But on the day Nicholls suffered his latest head injury at Millwall, Rudoni made a welcome return from a foot injury suffered in October, changing the balance of the midfield for the better.

"He brings energy, close control, he's very direct, a good passer with an ability to pop up with a goal threat, all the things that have probably been missing for some time," said Moore of a player who came through 90 minutes unscathed.

"Every team always wants their best players on the pitch. It gives the team a dynamic that's needed to be a goal threat and win games and Jack falls into that category."

Rudoni's running from midfield is a real strength but a goal return of just five in a Huddersfield career midway through its second season is not enough for his ability.

"The good things about Jack is he gets into those positions," said Moore. "We know with his ability, if he keeps getting into those positions we'll see the goals come.

"He looked threatening before his injury and last Saturday so he has to continue to get into those positions and we believe if he consistently can, the goals will come."

On Nicholls. Moore said: "He's going to follow a concussion protocol.

"First thing's first it's about his health and football becomes secondary. He's suffered two (concussions) in a relatively short space of time.

"We're taking every precaution and the first thing is looking after Lee Nicholls, the secondary bit, the football, will come after that."

Moore spoke about establishing Huddersfield in the same "echelon" as hosts Norwich, who have built themselves up on the back of wisely reinvesting the money earnt dipping in and out of the Premier League.

Catching them is a long-term process but having won two of 15 games in charge – eight have been drawn – Moore knows only short-term improvement will allow him to do that.

"It's about competing and let's face it, winning games," he argued. "It's what we're in the business for.

"Long before I was born that was the end game in football and long after I've left football it will be. That's what you have to do to gain that respect.

"The short-term fixes allow you to get the long-term gains so you've got to look at the here and now.

"I've stepped into a football club where there's been a lot of turnaround – that's fact – and a lot of injuries – that's fact.

"I've had to assess the group of players very quickly and put a structure together to stop the rot and try and solidify things.

"Now we're in that position it's about progressing and trying to move forward and that's what we're trying to do whilst maintaining the focus on the here and now. But in the long term we want to be spoken about in the same breath as clubs like Norwich in the Championship, where we are now.

"The only way we're going to do that is by dealing with the short-term goals like we are now and maintaining a consistency of that time to get into the higher echelons of the league.

"That's a process. There's no real easy way around it.”