Boss Jim Magilton has no new injury concerns ahead of Saturday's home game against Plymouth Argyle. Defenders Moritz Volz and Iván Campo remain on the sidelines with long-term absentee Tommy Smith.

Volz is back in training after his groin problem and is likely to be available for next Saturday's trip to Swansea. Campo has had a calf problem and is also closing in on a return. Smith is likely to be back in reserve football before the end of the season.

Magilton will probably name a side similar to the one which defeated Barnsley at Oakwell on Tuesday, although perhaps with one or two changes due to tiredness or any minor niggles after two hard games.

Richard Wright continued his excellent form against the Tykes, while Pim Balkestein kept up his good run in the side since taking over from the injured Campo and is likely to partner Gareth McAuley at the heart of the defence.

The Town manager has decisions to make at full-back with Ben Thatcher now OK after his bout of illness. However, Magilton may well stick with Alex Bruce at right-back and David Wright on the left.

In midfield, both Owen Garvan and Veliche Shumulikoski, key players in Town's 3-1 victory at Plymouth earlier in the season, will be looking for recalls. Garvan may be the most likely to come into central midfield if the Town management decide to rest either Tommy Miller or Alan Quinn.

David Norris looks set to continue on the left with new signing Luciano Civelli not ready for a start having been in pre-season training in Argentina. Town's new number 13 could be included on the bench, but is unlikely to play a significant part unless the Blues find themselves comfortably in front.

Jon Walters is expected to continue on the right, although Danny Haynes will be wanting to make a return to the side.

Up front, Kevin Lisbie continued his excellent away form at Barnsley, but is yet to perform as impressively at home. However, his partnership with Jon Stead at Oakwell, which saw the former Sheffield United man score twice in the first 10 minutes, is likely to see Jim Magilton give them the nod to continue against the Pilgrims.

Town are without a win in their last three home league games with a winless home streak of four matches having happened only four times since relegation from the Premier League in 1995.

Assistant boss John Gorman says he is confident that the Blues can get a result on Saturday, but is not getting over-confident: "I'm being as positive as I can but I'm not stupid because I know football. When you think you are doing well you have to be ready because it sometimes kicks you in the teeth.

"We go into the game with such a positive frame of mind but we know it won't be easy.

"That is the problem with this league, no matter who you play it is not easy. We could do with getting an early goal because then they have to come at us.

"We got a boost from the Chelsea game because of the way we played. We took that into the next game and now we want to take that game into Saturday.

"The problem is it is harder at home. Teams come just to stop us playing. We went to Barnsley to win the game straight from kick off. Plymouth will come here and make life difficult for us.”

The Pilgrims currently sit in 16th, nine points and six places behind the Blues, having lost their last four games, including an FA Cup defeat to Arsenal. Their away record is won four, drawn three and lost seven.

Manager Paul Sturrock says he is up to the challenge of turning around his side's form: "Football managers are no different from anybody else. They look at themselves and are critical of themselves.

"I digest what has happened after every game and see if I could have done anything different.

"I have never been a manager to shirk anything, and I have not been relegated, apart from my first season as a manager, when St Johnstone were dead and buried and we nearly kept them up.

"I don't expect to be in a relegation tussle this season. I expect these players to turn their season very quickly. I honestly believe we will kick on again, as far as the team is concerned."

Sturrock has added 20-year-old midfielder Alan Judge to his squad on loan from Blackburn, a player he says is similar to an Argyle old boy: "We needed a freshness in midfield and he can play several positions in there. We have had him watched several times.

"He's a livewire, box-to-box type player. He's very similar to David Norris in that he's a pocket dynamo.

"He comes into the squad for tomorrow. I will have a look at him in training and decide overnight.

"He's very hungry for the challenge and I have taken him as an offensive player to come from midfield and support the front two."

Plymouth will be without striker Emile Mpenza, who was at one point in talks with the Blues in the summer, as the Belgian international is not 100% after a hamstring injury and gastric flu.

Defender David McNamee returns after a ban, but centre-half Craig Cathcart is a doubt with a back problem.
David Norris is the only ex-Pilgrim in the Town squad, although chief scout Steve McCall was a player, coach and caretaker-manager with Argyle.

Former Town loanee Simon Walton is currently with Plymouth, having signed from QPR in the summer for £200,000, but hasn't featured since being sent off at Barnsley in late December.

Over the years Town have had the better of Plymouth, winning 19 games between the sides (18 in the league), losing 10 (10) and drawing 13 (13).

In October the Blues defeated the Pilgrims 3-1 at Home Park, Owen Garvan netting twice and Kevin Lisbie once for Town with Craig Cathcart pulling back a late goal for Argyle, prior to David Norris receiving a late second yellow card for timewasting.

At Portman Road last January the teams played out a 0-0 draw with Norris rested by Paul Sturrock with his move to the Blues imminent.

TWTD issue 95 won't be on sale around the ground, but is still available online here.

Saturday's referee is Darren Deadman from Cheshunt, who has shown 81 yellow and six red cards in 23 games so far this season. Deadman's last Town match was the 1-1 draw at home to Crystal Palace in September in which he booked Alex Bruce and Tommy Miller as well as two Eagles players.

Likely squad: R Wright, Supple, D Wright, Bruce, Thatcher, McAuley, Balkestein, Miller, Norris, Quinn, Garvan, Shumulikoski, Walters, Haynes, Civelli, Lisbie, Stead, Couñago, Bowditch.

Photo: Action Images

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