Blues boss Paul Jewell says central defender Damien Delaney will train today and hopes he will be OK to face his former club Hull City on Saturday. However, Ívar Ingimarsson is out due to his thigh problem.

Jewell said: “Damien hasn’t trained all week. His ankle was swollen and badly bruised. We’re hoping he’ll do a little bit of training this morning and we’ll see what the reaction is.

“If he’s OK, I’m sure he’ll go through any pain barrier because that’s the type of lad he is. If he’s not fit, we’re going to be stretched.”

The Blues boss confirmed that Ingimarsson will definitely miss out: “Ívar got injured in training on Monday which is a bit of a blow for us and it’s an area where we’re lacking cover anyway.”

Tommy Smith and Jack Ainsley are the two candidates to play alongside Delaney if he makes it and if the bid for a central defender is unsuccessful, with the right-sided Ainsley perhaps ahead of the left-sided Smith after impressing against Northampton.

Photo: Action Images

DanLyles added 10:04 - Aug 11 I'm confident with Chopra, JET, Martin, Bowyer et al that we can score a couple against Hull BUT I am going to feel incredibly edgy every time the Tigers go forward. I don't rate Smith at all, Ainsley is very inexperienced, Delaney won't be 100% and Ingimarsson (easily our best cb imo) is out. Could be a high scoring game
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itfcjc added 10:06 - Aug 11 After Tuesday we need you damo
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Daleyitfc added 10:28 - Aug 11 As I said when we signed him, Ingimarsson is a waste of money : a new John Scales in my opinion. Too late now. In the Robson days he always replaced missing players with their equivalent reserve, even if more experienced players were available : therefore Ainsley should get the nod over Smith for Saturday.
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StowTractorBoy added 10:34 - Aug 11 Ainsley is not big enough to be a centre back an excellent right back yes. If the Andrews deal goes through I would rather have him at the back or even Kennedy, but whatever happens now it will be a 4-5-1 so be prepared you 4-4-2 lovers. Still very angry about Tuesday night after the highs of being at Bristol.
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Karlosfandangal added 10:45 - Aug 11 Ingarmarsson was released by Reading for the same reason always injured, he struggled in the pre season and now he has missed the 2 out of 3 games. Good player but i feel we need 2 cb of some class as we will leak goals with smith and delaney. Problem being that against Northampton we had 19 attempts on or off goal and only scored once, Bristol game we were a different side but against Northampton it was last season all over again, it knocked my confidence in the team so I would expect it to have the same effect on the players. Dont have a good feeling about the Hull game

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Bluearmy added 10:52 - Aug 11 karlos what makes you think we won't have a good game against hull my god there are so many negative fans we have. I admit smith and delaney may not be a ideal partnership but i do think against hull we will be okay. One bad result against northampton with a much changed team where we should till of won of course and people massively overreacted as always.
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Tractastic added 11:03 - Aug 11 Lets pray Delaney can play.Smith just isn't good enough at this level and Tuesday's mistake which wasn't his first time is simply Sunday league. I agree Ainsley could be good but maybe a bit small for a cb and when will Ingarmarsson actually be fit? Could potentially be a poor signing.Will be goals at both ends so not a game for the faint hearted!! Decent Centre back urgently required but in meantime i'd definitely go 4-5-1.

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truckertractorboy added 11:19 - Aug 11 Smith was terrible on tuesday worst player on the pitch really honest I would be very surprised if he plays for town again
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bluearmy77 added 11:33 - Aug 11 I have googled Carlos Puyol, 1 of the best defenders in the world, he is only 5ft 10 so height may not be a problem for Ainsley! Lets just get behind whoever plays! If it is Smith and Ainsley then let give them the support they will need! they are 2 good young players come through the academy and have been good servants to the club already! Ainsley for me needs his chance and this could be it. COYB lets get another win win win!! Blluuuuueeee aaaarrrrrmmmmmyyyy

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nitroblue added 11:58 - Aug 11 Daley itfc.....the robson years have long gone, we were a top class team then that could pay and attract good players..thats sadly is not the case now, football has changed immensley in that time and unfortunatley the Robosn years are a mill stone around the managers neck and will continue to be while the comparison exists.....dont get me wrong i enjoyed those years hugely as i was a young lad at the time...hes a part of ITFC folklore and rightly so....i wonder if the Liverpool fans compare there current plight to the days of shankly and paisley? .....

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NottsBlue added 12:02 - Aug 11 I feel central defence may become our achillies heel this season! Stockdale might be a busy keeper! Let's hope we can bring a few CB's in!
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Brockleyblue added 12:23 - Aug 11 Still a complete mystery to me why we let Troy Brown go. I thought he was ideal as cover on the right side of centre, or at right back, and looked a decent player. After Tommy Smith's apparently dreadful display for Colchester last season alarm bells should have rung, given that if a League One side thought he wasn't good enough then why did Ipswich continue to think he was up to scratch?

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legoman added 12:50 - Aug 11 Yes I was shocked at Troy being released Brockley.
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Fatboy added 12:56 - Aug 11 Hopefully Andrews will be in before the weekend and will provide some cover for whichever inexperienced centre-back pairing we put out. He should also allow the rest of the midfield to get into more attacking positions and hopefully create some chances for Chops.
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MathieandMarshall added 12:57 - Aug 11 I agree the release of Brown and Eastman along with GMac was a strange decision. PJ must have been confident of another CB coming in that maybe fell through? Whatever happens we have to support who is out there on Saturday. No help to anyone getting on the back of young players if they make an error. Hopefully Andrews will be sat in front of them giving then a little protection. With the injury problems at the back i for one wont complain if we play a defensive midfielder at home this week!

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arc added 13:13 - Aug 11 Brown and Eastman weren't released; they were offered short-term contracts. Mistake to lose both, I agree, but let's get the facts straight. And please, please, please, not Smith and Delaney together–I'm getting flashbacks full of people in ugly yellow shirts...
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Brockleyblue added 14:00 - Aug 11 Can't play GMac for going to the Premiership, good luck to the guy. Afriad I thought Tom Eastman, at both centre back and right back was one one of the poorest players I've seen in a T
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Brockleyblue added 14:04 - Aug 11 .... own shirt in the last few years. We essentially released Troy by offering him a shorter contract, on possibly reduced wages, which maybe didn't even match what a League Two club offered him. That's effectively showing him the door. Main moral of this story: don't put all your eggs in one basket carried by an injury prone 35 year old.
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Tampa_Florida_Blue added 15:06 - Aug 11 I was going to match's when the likes of Russel Osman, and Terry Butcher was coming into the team due to Big Al, and Kevin Beatie was getting injured a lot (or was it to drunk to play). I have to say, they did not fill you full of confidence to start with, but given time and the experience, look what great players they turned out to be. Tommy Smith may not be the best CB in the world, but I can remember him doing good in the last World Cup for NZ. He is still young, and ideally he needs a run out in the first team to gain that needed experience. I have faith he will become a good player "IF" the moaners keep off his back.

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RegencyBlue added 22:23 - Aug 11 The potential problems at Center Back have been obvious since the end of last season. PJ has done well overall but this needed to be addressed urgently over the summer. For whatever reason it hasnt been. We may regret that Saturday!!
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