Norwich City have been the archetypal yo-yo team over the past few years, and centre-back Christoph Zimmerman is hopeful they can continue that trend.

In 2015, they won the play-off final, 12 months after dropping out of the Premier League, and Zimmerman believes the current squad is capable of repeating that notable achievement by again gaining promotion at the first attempt.

Since Norwich did so, only Burnley in 2016, Newcastle a year later and Fulham last month have managed the feat.

But with a nucleus of the side that won the title two seasons ago still intact, along with some new additions like striker Jordan Hugill, Spanish defender Xavi Quintilla and Tottenham midfielder Oliver Skipp, could the Canaries be singing again come May?

“We have a good side, a strong squad and anything is possible,” 27-year-old Zimmerman tells BBC Sport during the English Football League’s official season launch event.

“We know it’s not going to be easy, we know we have to dig deep in every game because we know you don’t get anything for free in this league, but if we get that right, maybe we have a good chance.”

Norwich were well adrift at the belated end of the 2019-20 Premier League campaign – 14 points from safety and 13 below second-from-bottom Watford.

While they only managed five league wins last season – including a memorable 3-2 victory over then reigning champions Manchester City – Norwich were afflicted by a lot of injuries.

Zimmermann himself managed just 20 games in all competitions because of knee and hamstring problems.

“I’m very happy that we have so far kept the majority of the squad together,” says the German, whose team-mates still include striker Teemmu Pukki, who hit 29 goals when they won the second tier in 2019, and highly rated midfielder Todd Cantwell.

“I also know that the transfer window is still open until October, so we’ll see what happens, but so far I’m very happy that there’s not been many players that have left us and everyone who’s here and is still here seems to be here for the right reasons and wants to be here.

“The training quality has been good, the intensity has been good and I’m positively surprised to be fair that so many have stayed with us.”

VAR ‘kills the game’

While Zimmermann will no doubt miss the glamorous sides and star names that arrive at Carrow Road every other week in the top flight, one thing he will not miss is VAR.

The second tier will not have video assistant referees this season, something Canaries fans might be thankful for after their team were on the wrong side of a number of decisions last season.

“I’m happy there’s no VAR,” he says.

“I’m happy that when it’s a goal it’s a goal, when it’s that one decision you know it’s a decision and you’re not standing around on the pitch for another two or three minutes hoping that the goal still stands or thinking ‘hopefully the striker was offside so it’s not a goal’.

“It did kill the game a bit, it did kill the atmosphere a bit.

“If it’s executed better, maybe it’s helpful and I hope there’ll be improvements in the Premier League this season and the seasons to come, but I’m not unhappy that we don’t have it in the Championship.”

Helping during lockdown

Despite welcoming a baby son into the world at the end of April, Zimmermann still found time to help with Norwich’s community work during the coronavirus lockdown.

The defender delivered food and gifts to people stuck in their homes and knows how lucky he and his team-mates have been during the pandemic.

“You have people with the whole family and their children stuck at home and the parents don’t have the means to entertain the children,” he says.

“It was nice for them to get a little surprise and some presents, something that could keep the children entertained for a couple of days during lockdown.

“I wouldn’t want to imagine what it’s like not being able to leave your flat.”

As people’s lives start to return to something approaching normal, Zimmermann hopes that a condensed Championship season can end with the Canaries returning to the top fight in 2021.