 Friday, 10th Sep 2010 13:05 Town boss Roy Keane is waiting on the fitness of left-back Darren O’Dea before naming his side for Saturday’s game at Portsmouth. The on-loan Celtic man is rated 50/50 after picking up a knee injury while away with the Republic of Ireland. The Blues’ two other left-backs, Mark Kennedy and Shane O’Connor, are also out with hamstring problems but Keane says he has alternatives in mind: “Jaime Peters has played left-back for us and Troy Brown’s defending really well for us in the reserves, so he can go to right-back. It’s not the end of the world. It’s not all doom and gloom, players getting injured is part of being at a football club.” Keane, who spent a few days away with his family during the international break, says he also gave his squad some time off: “One day! No, we gave them a few days off. They can’t train every day and they deserve a break. It’s been a hectic start, particularly for the lads who have played in all the games.” Town, who are yet to score a goal in the first half this season, are moving into what could be a very important week with QPR and Cardiff at Portman Road after the visit to Pompey but Keane says his players need to concentrate on each match as it comes: “Every game is important. We’ve had a half-decent start and we want to keep that going. You’ve got to forget about these games next week, you’ve got to focus on the game at Portsmouth. “It’s strange that you can have no game for two weeks and then I think we go into seven or eight games in 18 days. That’s why it would be a boost if we were to get one or two of our injured boys back.” Luciano Civelli (knee) and Damien Delaney (thigh) came through 45 minutes of Wednesday’s reserve game against Oxford without a problem, while Connor Wickham (ankle) and Mark Kennedy (hamstring) should join them in the second string side which travels to Maldon to take on Colchester next Wednesday. Some of the four may travel to watch the Portsmouth match but Keane says they won't be involved. None of the other players away on international duty suffered injuries, although Keane was sceptical about where Márton Fülöp and Tamás Priskin might actually have been, joking: “I think they went to Vegas because I don’t think they played any football!” Keane feels that there’s a difference in the squad this season and praises the players and his staff for the progress that’s been made: “We’ll travel down on the bus in good spirits. We’ll have a good bit of banter, a nice meal and we’ll be ready and raring. The fans will know that, they’re seeing a different Ipswich now, showing a lot of energy, a lot of spirit, getting stuck in. It’s good. “That’s down to the players, and the staff are doing a good job. I made changes to the staff last year. We’ve staff who are driven to move the club forward. But the players deserve a lot of credit.” Keane is likely to continue with Márton Fülöp in goal with Jaime Peters at either right-back or left-back depending on O’Dea’s fitness. If O’Dea is unable to play, then Troy Brown is most likely to come into the side on the right. The Blues boss will probably again start with the three-man midfield triangle with Luke Hyam behind Grant Leadbitter and skipper David Norris. Jason Scotland is likely start in the centre of the front three with Carlos Edwards on the right and Tamás Priskin on the left. Against Bristol City, the Blues switched to 4-4-2 in the second half with Scotland slotting in just behind Priskin, a change which could again be made at some stage against Pompey. Loanee Andros Townsend misses the final game of his three-game suspension, while Alan Quinn remains the only player sidelined long-term with Keane not expecting him to be available this month: “Quinner’s made a little bit of progress, he’s had the injection and the operation and I think he might be doing a bit of jogging. He’ll be another three or four weeks away yet with the groin injury he picked up in pre-season.” Administration-hit Portsmouth are still waiting to complete the signing of Liam Lawrence, now moving on an emergency loan from Stoke after his permanent deal wasn’t completed before last week's deadline. Pompey are awaiting clearance from the Football League. The re-signings of Nwankwo Kanu and Ricardo Rocha have been completed. Speaking prior to Kanu and Rocha's registrations going through, manager Steve Cotterill said he was desperate to add them to his squad: “We haven't had [a decision] just now, it's an ongoing thing. “We need some more boxes ticked, but it should not be a problem with any of them. They have been checked, checked and checked. If something goes wrong with these now I don't know what else we can do.” Striker Dave Kitson has already joined Cotterill’s squad, also from Stoke, with Pompey skipper Marc Wilson making a move in the opposite direction, while Tommy Smith has moved to QPR on loan. Striker Danny Webber, midfielder Tom Kilbey (both knee) and Billy Goddard (shin), another midfielder, are all out of action. Historically, Town have won 17 (16 in the league), drawn 10 (10) and lost 10 (eight) against Portsmouth and are unbeaten at Fratton Park since the Hampshire side won an old Second Division game 4-2 in October 1966. The sides most recently met in two FA Cup third round ties at Portman Road, both won 1-0 by Pompey. In 2006 Dario Silva netted the game’s only goal, then two years later, after referee Mark Halsey had harshly red-carded Liam Trotter, one-time Town loan target David Nugent scored the winner. In the league, the teams haven’t faced one another since Portsmouth’s 2002/03 Championship-winning season when the Blues won 3-0 at Portman Road in April. Pompey fans were already celebrating their title on the terraces (and the roof of the Cobbold Stand executive boxes) as Martijn Reuser, Tommy Miller and Pablo Couñago lashed in the goals in the first half hour. Earlier in the season, a 19th minute Andy Marshall howler gifted Svetoslav Todorov the opening goal at Fratton Park but Thomas Gaardsøe headed home a Jim Magilton cross in the second half as the game ended 1-1. Chris Makin was red-carded for second bookable offence in the closing moments. Hermann Hreidarsson was in the Town side that day and the out-of-contract Icelander, who is still sidelined with the achilles injury he suffered last season, is expected to re-sign for Portsmouth soon. No current member of either squad has previously played for their opposition on Saturday. The referee at Fratton Park will be Steve Tanner from Somerset, who has shown 27 yellow and a slightly concerning four red cards in six games so far this season. Tanner’s last Town match was the 3-0 home victory over QPR last season and prior to that he took control of the 2-0 loss at West Brom, in which he gave the Baggies a well-deserved penalty. Probable squad: Fülöp, Murphy, O’Dea, Peters, Brown, Ainsley, McAuley, Smith, Eastman, Hyam, Norris, Leadbitter, Healy, Hourihane, Edwards, Priskin, Scotland, Murray, Griffiths.
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