Defender Richard Naylor will be out of action for three months as he requires an operation to remove cartilage from his big toe. The 30-year-old's toe injury, which has kept him out of action since February, was initially misdiagnosed as bone bruising.

Naylor picked up the injury in the FA Cup tie at home to Swansea and, after playing the following match at Crystal Palace, missed the rest of the season. The former striker came back into the side for the pre-season matches at Kettering, Chelmsford and Rushden but was left out of the party which travelled to Belgium for last night's 1-1 draw at Royal Antwerp.

The absence of Town's longest-serving player - coupled with Spanish target César Navas's expected two months on the sidelines with a broken metatarsal - leaves the Blues short of experienced cover at centre-half and may see boss Jim Magilton move into the loan market.

Naylor's spell out may be why Ian Miller's loan at Darlington was reduced from the expected half-season to one month, with Town able to recall the former Bury Town man at the end of August. However, Jim Magilton doesn't feel Miller, who was playing non-league football less than a year ago, is ready for the Championship and could look for a more senior centre-half on a short-term basis.

Reading's Alan Bennett, a player understood to be interesting the Blues, has joined Southampton on loan until January, while Middlesbrough's Matt Bates, linked with a second loan spell with the Blues earlier in the summer, is set for a lengthy absence after picking up another serious knee injury in his comeback game after his previous problem.

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