Paul Lambert goes back to his old club Norwich when Aston Villa take on the Canaries in the League Cup quarterfinals at Carrow Road Tuesday.
Norwich beat Tottenham 2-1 in the pre-quarterfinals to enter the last-eight, while Villa just about saw off the challenge of Swindon Town 3-2.
Lambert and Norwich have both sued each other for breach of contract, after the former Celtic midfielder left Norwich under acrimonious circumstances to take the top job at Villa earlier this summer.
"Probably the sad thing is people don't really know what's been going on," Lambert said. "Is it a source of sorrow it's ended up how it has? Yes, it should never have been the way it is.
"Would you hope it could get sorted amicably? You'd like to think that way. But I just let the lawyers and the LMA (League Managers' Association), who have been brilliant with it, get on with things.
"It's unfair to comment because it's in arbitration and you've got to respect that."
Lambert stressed the match would not be about him, as he readies himself for a frosty welcome from his the fans of his former club. "I hope they concentrate on (Norwich manager) Chris (Hughton) because, if not, the obsession keeps on continuing with myself," Lambert added. "It's his club, it's his team now. People will make more of it than I actually will. I'll just get on with it.
"It's another game for me. You would like to think that the sensible ones would maybe think 'you done all right.' But I know I might get stick. With the things that are going on people probably don't know exactly what has happened."
Hughton was all praise for Lambert and the job he had done at Norwich before leaving for Villa. "I can only speak about the job that he did here and what I've inherited, and I have inherited a great group of lads that have integrated the new lads in a very good way," he told the club's official website. "You only have to look at his achievements in his three years here to see he's been successful.
"It's a competition that I'd like to make progress in and I'm quite sure that Paul would be exactly the same. Irrespective of what this fixture means tomorrow, one of these teams will get through to a semi-final and I would imagine he's every bit as desperate as I am to get there."
To watch Norwich vs Aston Villa Live Stream, click here.
Expected lineups: Norwich: Bunn; Martin, Bassong, Whittaker, Garrido; Johnson, Howson, Snodgrass, Pilkington, Hoolahan; Holt.
Aston Villa: Given; Lowton, Baker, Clarke, Lichaj; Westwood, Bannan; Ireland, Holman, Agbonlahor; Benteke.
Prediction: 2-1 to Norwich
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