Stoke City are set to hold talks with Norwich coach Narcis Pelach after the surprise dismissal of Steven Schumacher.

Pelach, 36, will be interviewed by Stoke tonight and is understood to be the front-runner to take over at the Championship club. The Spaniard is currently working as a first-team coach under Norwich’s Johannes Hoff Thorup but has already established an impressive reputation.

Pelach formerly worked under the highly regarded Carlos Corberan at Huddersfield and is finalising his Pro Licence course.

Paul Clements, Norwich’s goalkeeping coach, is expected to make the move to Stoke if talks with Pelach are successful. Norwich granted Stoke permission to hold talks after an official approach was made shortly after the confirmation of Schumacher’s exit.

Schumacher’s reign was ended on Monday morning after the weekend defeat at Oxford, with the decision stunning many of the club’s supporters. The former Plymouth Argyle manager had ended last season impressively and won two of his five league games this term.

Stoke have spent significant funds on rebuilding the squad over the summer, with Schumacher also moving a number of high earners out of the club.

Sporting director Jon Walters said: “My role as sporting director is to make tough decisions that serve the long-term interests of Stoke City.

“After ongoing discussions with [chairman] John Coates, we feel the time is right for a change in direction to bring success to the club.

“We have a young, dynamic squad that is eager to develop and a clear vision of how to achieve success, and we hope to announce a new appointment shortly. We will need the fans, staff and players united in support to achieve our goals.

“As always in football, these decisions are difficult, and we wish Steven and his staff all the best for the future.”