Skipper Grant Leadbitter is a doubt ahead of Saturday’s home game against Blackpool with a hip injury suffered at Birmingham on Wednesday. The Blues are short of central midfielders with Jimmy Bullard still feeling the effects of his recent illness.

Jewell said: “Grant’s a doubt. He got a knock on his hip, that he hurt a couple of weeks ago, right at the end of the game.”

If Leadbitter misses out, Andy Drury, Luke Hyam and Josh Carson will be the only fit centre midfield players with Jewell feeling that Jimmy Bullard is still some way from himself: “Jimmy has been ill but has trained in the last couple of days.

“I don’t really want to put him in but he might have to play some part because we are struggling at the minute. Jimmy hasn’t been well and it’s taken an awful lot out of him.”

Lee Bowyer is definitely out with his groin problem and Damien Delaney also misses out with his foot injury, although the problem isn’t too serious: “Damo’s injured, it’s not as bad as we first thought but he’s not fit.”

Photo: Action Images

walberswick added 13:12 - Jan 13 Hurray!!
0

stringtheory added 13:13 - Jan 13 Anyone feeling optimistic about tomorrow?
0

OldClactonBlue added 13:14 - Jan 13 Good. Anyone will be better than Leadbitter!
0

WeirdFishes added 13:15 - Jan 13 Good
0

PYBlue added 13:15 - Jan 13 Best news of the week
0

casanovacrow added 13:17 - Jan 13 YES! Hyam and Drury, actually sounds well balanced to me. Has energy there too. Make the places yours!
0

Garv added 13:17 - Jan 13 Damn. Leadbitter and Drury have done sell. Many people said that was one of Leadbitter's best games for us Wednesday. Rather him than Hyam.
0

whittonite added 13:17 - Jan 13 IVE GOT AN IDEA,get that guy we got back off loan who was once reported to be a very good passer of the the ball,...errr, oh yeah ronan muray!
0

Nazemariner added 13:18 - Jan 13 Leadboots was our best player on Wednesday night. That said the Birmingham midfield was not the best.
0

pazelle added 13:19 - Jan 13 Jaime Peters can play in centre midfield! Why is this never mentioned? He did well there! But if Leadbitter's out I'd be happy with Hyam getting another game - and I'm sure the Portman Road crowd would be too! Also, play Carson instead of Murphy - Carson can't be blamed for wanting to leave if he's behind a crap Celtic reserve with 2 years playing time left. Carson can become important for us again like he was last season - but he needs to be playing! COYB! PS If we lose, Jewell out!

0

wrightyblue added 13:21 - Jan 13 Nooo Leadbitter rules
0

whittonite added 13:23 - Jan 13 stop being nasty to leadbetter , its not his fault he has a phobia of passing forwards instead of side to side all the time;p
0

casanovacrow added 13:23 - Jan 13 pazelle- totally agree about Carson, no way should he be out of the team instead of Murph. Carson looks dangerous every time he plays, Murph barely gets noticed unless the ball is lumped up to his head, even then we haven't scared goals off this tactic have we?
0

StowTractorBoy added 13:23 - Jan 13 Don't understand why Leadbitter is treated so harshly. Not a great captain but that is hardly his fault when PJ appoints him in that position. Last week at Hull he gave his all which is more than can be said for some others. He really wanted to win on Wednesday at Birmingham and remember Reading at home winning 2-1 - Leadbitter goes off and we lose 3-2. If he does not play tomorrow there will be no physical presence at all in midfield so be careful what you wish for.

0

PSGBlue added 13:24 - Jan 13 McCarthy Edwards, Sonko, Smith, Creswell Martins,Drury,Hyam,Murphy JET,Scotland Doesn't fill me with much confidence, especially as we played on Weds Night. Sonko and Scotland will be tired. PJ may could put Murphy up top with JET and play Carson right with Martins left - that could work.
0

Pabloisgod84 added 13:26 - Jan 13 since when was carson a centre midfielder??? good point pazelle why not peters, he no worse than anyone else. Agreed leadbitter is toilet but so is 75% (maybe more)of this squad so we need to share the abuse out, poor ol grant, he is pants though!!!
0

whittonite added 13:27 - Jan 13 reply to stow tractor boy, carefull what you wish for. all i wish for is a midfield with some legs!
0

casanovacrow added 13:27 - Jan 13 StowTractorBoy - no physical presence? for most of the past year I barely noticed Leadbitter on the pitch, hardly a physical presence, he's too static and disinterested too often. Both Hyam and Drury actually move during a game, that gives more presence not less surely
0

Lesta_Tractor added 13:27 - Jan 13 "The Blues are short of central midfielders" Is there a position we aren't short of players in at the moment? Our squad is horrendously weak..
0

Wallingford_Boy added 13:28 - Jan 13 whittonite - Murray plays up front.
0

whittonite added 13:29 - Jan 13 oops
0

Tiggs added 13:31 - Jan 13 Yippee. One bright moment of another dark, dark week in the history of the club.
0

whittonite added 13:31 - Jan 13 to wallingford, in this team thats not an issue,our first chioce right back is a winger,LOL
0

jas1972 added 13:33 - Jan 13 "Is there a position we aren't short of players in at the moment?". Yes - our subs are very strong, on the bench. It's only when they come onto the pitch that we struggle.
0

casanovacrow added 13:38 - Jan 13 whittonite - technically Edwards can be called a RB or winger, we aren't the first team to be playing him at right back thats for sure. Both him and Cressy have attributes to make them great wing backs, doing that we'd need and anchor man in the team to cover/3rd CB though. *cough hyam* lol I would love to see it 532.
0

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls