Daniel Farke will not be on the sidelines for Leeds United’s FA Cup fifth-round match against Norwich City.

The former Canaries manager, who won two Championship crowns at Carrow Road, was sent off for the first time in his 16-year coaching career last weekend in Leeds’ 1-0 loss to Manchester City after entering the field of play after the final whistle.

Farke was present for the Premier League club’s 1-0 loss to Sunderland on midweek, but only because the deadline for the sanction was too short. Indeed, the Leeds manager was charged on Wednesday and accepted his one-match punishment on Friday morning.

This means he will not be in the dugout for his former team’s return to Elland Road, where they had lost each of their previous four visits.

Normally, this would give the Canaries an edge, especially as Leeds are likely to rotate after their points difference with the Premier League relegation zone was cut in half during the most recent round of midweek fixtures.

However, if history repeats itself, Farke’s absence could cause a spark similar to the one that occurred when he was banned last season during their promotion campaign.

Leeds United won a critical promotion six-pointer without Daniel Farke against Sheffield United last season.

Daniel Farke was forced to watch from the stands as his team faced championship rivals Sheffield United at Bramall Lane last February.

The German manager was suspended after receiving his third yellow card of the season following Pascal Struijk’s dramatic late winner in a come-from-behind victory over fellow promotion hopes Sunderland the week before, where he again encroached on the field of play.

It was a huge game with title implications, as both teams were in the top two of the Championship. A win for Sheffield United would have seen Chris Wilder’s side overtake the Whites to top spot, while a win for Leeds would have put them five points ahead of their South Yorkshire opponents.

Leeds, like the previous week, came from behind to win late, with Junior Firpo’s header 18 minutes from time sparking a comeback that saw Leeds score twice more through Ao Tanaka and Joel Piroe to secure all three points.

Leeds would only lose once more for the rest of the season, emphasizing how significant this victory was for their promotion hopes, and it was all accomplished without their manager in the bench.

Leeds United will still be anxious to proceed in the FA Cup, even though relegation fears heightened midweek.

Leeds indirectly reiterated their FA Cup ambitions in late February, when chairman Paraag Marathe resigned from his job as Rangers vice-chairman, just days before UEFA’s deadline for clubs to comply with the multi-club ownership requirements.

Leeds may still qualify for the Europa League if they win the FA Cup, and Marathe’s departure from his post at fellow 49ers-owned Rangers suggests that they consider this competition as one that they can win against the odds.

As a result, despite their Premier League status receiving a minor damage in midweek, when a loss at home to Sunderland, combined with a West Ham win at Fulham, reduced the distance to three points, this game against Norwich is not something they are taking lightly.

There may be some squad rotation, with Tanaka, Willy Gnonto, Dan James, and other players who haven’t been in Farke’s plans recently given rare starts, but they demonstrated last season that they’re elite Championship operators, and the combination of them and top-flight regulars at Elland Road will make this a difficult task for Norwich on Sunday.

Philippe Clement may have a minor edge because he is the only manager in the dugout, but Leeds have demonstrated that this has not affected them in major games, and it is unlikely to do so this weekend.