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Town Waiting on Trio
Town Waiting on Trio
Friday, 13th Apr 2007 12:03

Town will give fitness tests to keepers Lewis Price and Shane Supple, and full-back David Wright prior to Saturday's home game with Derby County. Price hurt his foot at Sheffield Wednesday on Monday, Supple has a slight groin strain and Wright has been suffering with a virus.

The Blues expect one of Price or Supple to be OK for Saturday with the Wales international most likely to take his regular place between the sticks. The 22-year-old hurt his foot in a clash just before half-time during the game with Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough on Monday and has been finding it painful in training.

Supple would probably have come into the side for his 10th appearance of the season had he not picked up a minor groin problem. There appears to be little concern that neither keeper will make it with third choice Andy Plummer not included in the squad.

Wright has been suffering with a virus this week and may be considered not well enough to play against the Rams, particularly with Dan Harding now back after his suspension.

Harding could come into the side in his regular left-back role with Fabian Wilnis, set to be offered a new one-year deal, continuing on the right.

Jason De Vos and Alex Bruce will be in the centre with Ian Miller on the bench and waiting for a possible second Town appearance as a sub. Richard Naylor is out for the season with bone bruising to his toe.

In midfield, boss Jim Magilton has options with Gavin Williams and George O'Callaghan vying for the role alongside Owen Garvan in the centre. O'Callaghan could return having been left out of Monday's game with the Owls, with Williams perhaps used in a wide role, possibly in place of Gary Roberts.


Danny Haynes failed to make an impression wide on the right at Hillsborough and is likely to make way for Jaime Peters, who has generally been used at home in recent months but less often away. Sylvain Legwinski is out for the season with a broken metatarsal.

Up front, Magilton will want to continue to run the rule over loanee Franny Jeffers, but may decide to partner the Blackburn man with Jon Walters rather than Alan Lee. Walters impressed against Barnsley a week ago, while Lee had a quieter game on Easter Monday at Sheffield Wednesday.

Haynes is likely to be used from the bench at some stage, while there is no place for either Billy Clarke or Jordan Rhodes. Clarke is still sidelined with the groin injury which kept him out of the reserves game at Luton on Tuesday. Rhodes is likely to be used in the U18s game with Aston Villa, having been in the first team squad for the last few matches. Dean Bowditch is currently sidelined with a thigh strain.

Derby will be without Town loanee Darren Currie, who is unavailable under the terms of the agreement that saw him move to Pride Park in March, however, there are two other familiar faces in Billy Davies's squad. Former Blues loan defender Jay McEverley joined Derby permanently from Blackburn in January, while Jon Macken moved on loan from Crystal Palace having completed a similar spell at Portman Road.

The Rams are waiting on the result of an FA disciplinary hearing later today into centre-half Darren Moore's clash with Iain Hume during last week's game with Leicester City. Referee Howard Webb said after the match that had he seen the incident he would have red-carded the veteran man-mountain defender. Moore has denied the charge but, if found guilty, will miss the rest of the season.

Dean Leacock is expected to return to the side in Moore's absence with former Canary Marc Edworthy back after a nose injury and Stephen Pearson available again having recovered from a foot problem. Michael Johnson (hamstring) and Tom Cumberworth (knee ligaments) are both out for the season.

Derby, currently second in the table, won the game between the two sides at Pride Park earlier in the season 2-1 with the Blues ending the game with 10 men after Simon Walton had been red-carded. Gary Roberts had put the Blues in front with a stunning volley but the home side hit back in the second half through Steve Howard and Arturo Lupoli, the Italian grabbing a last minute winner.

The Rams' last victory at Portman Road came in September 2002 when a Horacio Carbonari goal saw them to a 1-0 win. Last year the Blues won the fixture 2-0 via goals from Nicky Forster and Darren Currie.

TWTD issue 87 will be on sale from our sellers around the ground — by Sir Alf, Planet Blue and the Portman Road entrance to the Greene King Stand - prior to kick-off. If you can't make the game you can buy a single issue online http://ipswichtown.rivals.net/default.asp?sid=911&p=2&stid=8439433>here or a six-issue subscription http://ipswichtown.rivals.net/default.asp?sid=911&p=2&stid=8327055>here.

class="storytext">The new issue includes an interview with academy manager Tony Humes, who talks about the next generation of Town stars and the club's youth set-up in general. Elsewhere, there are various views on club chairman David Sheepshanks and Jim Magilton's first season in charge, as well as much, much more.

Fans under 16-years-old can watch Saturday's game for just a pound with the Blues running a ‘kids for a quid' scheme at both the season's last two matches.

Saturday's referee is Iain Williamson from Berkshire, who has shown 114 yellow and six red cards in 30 games this season. Williamson's last Town game was the 5-0 home thrashing of Luton at the end of October in which he awarded the Blues a penalty and booked Alex Bruce and Sylvain Legwinski.

Squad: Bruce, De Vos, Garvan, Harding, Haynes, Jeffers, Lee, Miller, O'Callaghan, Peters, Price, Richards, Roberts, Supple, Walters, Williams, Wilnis, Wright.

Get the fastest and most comprehensive Ipswich Town news service at ipswichtown.footballlatest.co.uk.


Photo: Action Images



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