Town have included both Sylvain Legwinski and Jon Macken in the squad for Saturday's home game with Southampton. The duo could make their debuts having joined the Blues prior to the transfer window, Legwinski on a two-year deal and Macken on loan until January.

Fabian Wilnis is out due to a thigh problem, while Jaime Peters remains on the sidelines having picked up an injury in training last month. Dean Bowditch and Billy Clarke are both named in the 19-man squad after missing Richard Naylor's testimonial last week.

Wilnis's absence could see Alex Bruce move to right-back but boss Jim Magilton may be unwilling to break up the promising partnership the summer signing from Birmingham forged with Jason De Vos in the 3-1 win at QPR a fortnight ago.

It is more likely that Sito will come into the reckoning on the right of the defence with Dan Harding on the left.

Magilton is likely to stick with the midfield which did so well at QPR — Matt Richards on the left, Mark Noble on the right and Simon Walton and Gavin Williams in the centre. Richards, still only 21, will be making his 100th league start for the Blues.

New signing Sylvain Legwinski is unlikely to start after playing little football in pre-season and having had an injury, but will probably be introduced from the bench at some stage.

Up front, Billy Clarke's fitness after his knee injury may have some bearing on whether he is used from the start and Magilton will probably give Macken his debut alongside Alan Lee.

Despite the poor start to the season the Town manager is confident that the Blues can mount a promotion push: "This has never been a football club to settle for second best. Some clubs' ambition doesn't go beyond achieving mid-table security or just surviving at this level, but not this one.

"It was a disappointing start but we still have more than 40 games to go and we are determined to get it right. I am asking the players to push themselves to the limit, both in training and on match days, and their response has been first class.

"There is no danger of us getting carried away, either, with one win. It was almost a fortnight ago now that we beat QPR so convincingly.

"We know it was a good performance, but we also know it was only a start. We need more, a lot more, in the weeks and months to follow."

Former Town boss George Burley will be back in a Portman Road dugout for the second week running, having taken control of the Wembley 2000 team last Saturday. Burley is hoping that summer signing Bradley Wright-Phillips will be OK after an ankle knock, while Bartosz Bialkowski (knee), Claus Lundekvam, (ankle), Michael Svensson (hamstring), Djamel Belmadi (calf), David Prutton (ankle), Mario Licka (foot) and Darren Powell (knee) are all unavailable.

The Saints will hand a debut to Inigo Idiakez and have former Blues Kelvin Davis, Jermaine Wright and Chris Makin in their ranks these days.

Burley says he has fond memories of his time at Town but is now concentrating on bringing success to St Mary's: “I had a great time there. It was a great achievement to get into Europe and they were great days both as a player and as manager. But that's all in the past and my focus now is doing well for Southampton."

Saturday's referee is Premiership official Mark Halsey from Lancashire who has shown six yellow cards and one red in his two games this season. His last Town game was the 2-1 win at Millwall a year ago. Halsey was the referee who failed to award the Blues a blatant penalty in the first leg of the 1998/99 play-off semi-final at Bolton.

Issue 83 of TWTD will again be on sale around the ground prior to kick-off, while subscriptions are available here.

Squad: Bowditch, Brittain, Bruce, Clarke, Currie, De Vos, Harding, Haynes, Lee, Legwinski, Macken, Naylor, Noble, Price, Richards, Sito, Supple, Walton, Williams.

Photo: Action Images

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