Town have revealed that full-back Ben Thatcher will be out of action for around six weeks after tearing a thigh muscle in last night's 4-1 Carling Cup defeat to Wigan. Thatcher was making his return from a dead leg which saw him miss the previous three matches.

Physio Matt Byard told the club site: "It's a pretty severe tear and Ben is going to be out for a while.

"He is going to have to rest the injury for 10 days or so before we can start any form of rehab and then we have to carefully manage it from there.

"You can't put down a definite return date because we don't know how quickly the tear will heal. You certainly can't rush back after these sort of injuries, so we are probably looking at between four to six weeks before Ben's in a position to be back working at something like 100 per cent again."

Thatcher is likely to be replaced by David Wright against Crystal Palace on Saturday, although Pim Balkestein will also be in with a shout as the former Wigan man also has a slight knock at present.

Meanwhile, striker Dean Bowditch, who returned to the Town side for the first time in two years last night, says he has rediscovered the confidence of his early days in the first team having been handed a new one-year deal in the summer: "I am grateful for having the chance.

"I have been working my socks off in training and now I want some more bench action and to eventually work my way into the team.

"You need a touch of arrogance to make it in football and all the top players have it. I have now re-found my self-belief and am confident again in my own ability.

"It is just like I was when I first broke into the side when there was no pressure. I am feeling no pressure again now.”

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