Boss Mick McCarthy has challenged young right-backs Elliott Hewitt and Frederic Veseli to prove to him that they’re worthy inclusion in his side ahead of Luke Chambers. The Blues manager has been hugely impressed with 28-year-old Chambers’s performances on the right of the defence since he switched from centre-half.

“Chambo’s great, he’s terrific,” McCarthy said. “I said to both Elliott and Freddie in the U21s that those two should have been battling it out, but unfortunately for the pair of them Chambo’s better.

“He’s been great. I think it’s been a real testimony to him and his character that he’s gone and played there when he was playing so well at centre-back.

“As soon as I changed it, does that put his position under threat if the two other centre-halves play well and he doesn’t? It does, but he’s not under to threat because I think he’s been great.

“He’s got the captain’s armband at the moment, he’s a really good pro. He's a really good guy, Chambo. I really like him.”

Wales U21 international Hewitt, 19, started the season at right-back and played the first four league games before being dropped in favour of Chambers after the home defeat to Leeds.

Former Manchester City and Manchester United youngster Veseli, 20, made his senior debut in the Capital One Cup defeat at Stevenage having won a deal in the summer after impressing while on trial following his release from Old Trafford.

Since then, the Swiss U21 international has been on the bench four times but is still to make his league bow.

McCarthy says Renens-born Veseli is doing OK in training but needs to do more in order to usurp Chambers: “I’ve just spoken to him. I brought him in and I thought he and Elliott would be competing for that right-back slot.

“Neither of them have performed that well that they can get Chambo out of it. He’s been different class. That’s their problem. They’ve got to prove to me that they should be in.

“Freddie’s just going to have to bide his time. He trains well, he’s a good lad, I’ve got no problems with him at all.”

Veseli played in the centre of the defence in last week’s U21 match against Bristol City but McCarthy says that’s not his ideal role: “He’s not a centre-half, although he’s played there for Switzerland, he told me.

“Down the right-hand side is where [he’s best]. He’s played in midfield as well and I might give him a go in there because you never know when it might come in useful at some stage if he can play there, either wide or in the centre.”

Meanwhile, Town's Playford Road training ground is - like TWTD - currently without power in the wake of the storms earlier in the week.

Monday's friendly with the Nike Academy succumbed to the weather, with the opposition having been due to travel from the Midlands, but today's training session will take place.

As was the case in the George Burley era, after training the players will drive back to Portman Road to change and shower.

Photos: Action Images/ITFC

Photo: Action Images

Popeye added 06:04 - Oct 30 No generator at the training ground!
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Jimmy86 added 06:42 - Oct 30 Nice to see mick talking up chambo, bearing in mind that mick changed it around to accomodate berra, thus also breaking up the very successfull chambers/smith centre back pairing. Chambo is doing his best at right back, but is playing out of position and thats purely down to mick accomodating berra. Berra is playing well of course, but is naturally a leftie same as tommy, mick has re jigged the backline so all of them can play, why not rry 3 5 2 and use cressie and hewitt/veseli as wing backs?!

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bluemikey100 added 06:59 - Oct 30 gonna be hard for them to dislodge our captain both had great chance until we signed Berra defence picks itself although its not as mean as last season wen we hardly conceded for 9 matches towards end of season hope mick issues same challenge to marriot and wordsworth
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Greektractor added 07:05 - Oct 30 I misinterpreted this as 'Boss Issues (are a) Challenge to Hewitt and Veseli'. Sort it out FAI!
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Keaneish added 08:30 - Oct 30 I think Hewitt might be pushing Anderson for his place before too long.
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kalypso added 08:42 - Oct 30 Let's get a Andros Townsend or Giovanni dos Santos player in to kick start our season. Wilfred Zaha?
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LuciBlue added 08:43 - Oct 30 Can't they change and shower at digs/houses?
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alfromcol added 08:47 - Oct 30 Chambers is fine defending but offers very little going forward. Hewitt offers more.
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Kesgraveblue57 added 09:16 - Oct 30 I never liked Chambers at right back, for the same reasons as (alfromcol) no pace going forward Hewitt at 19 should be playing the lad a class act, MM is so wrong says Kesgraveblue the best Manager the town never had, in not playing him!! as jimmy86 says try 3-5-2
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thebeat added 09:17 - Oct 30 This is Micks way of saying "i dont care what you fans think im the manager and i'll accomodate Berra if i want so get used to Chambo playing right back" Every manager has a blind spot but for me at the moment Mick has this and the centre of midfield and Anderson all wrong. We just have to trust him but we are conceding more than we were with Chambers/Smith. I might give the 3-5-2 a go aswell, atleast we'd have some attacking width on the right

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kingy4978 added 09:45 - Oct 30 If MM did go 3 5 2 what do others think the line up should be?
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kingy4978 added 09:48 - Oct 30 I would go for - Gerken Chambers Smith Berra Skuse Hewitt Wordsworth Tunnicliff Cresswell McGoldrick Taylor/Murphy
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muccletonjoe added 10:07 - Oct 30 Let's be honest , make up as many formations and line ups as you like but any one of us can pick the team for friday right down to the substitutions. Trouble is Barnsley are as aware of this as we are.
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ChrisMakin2012 added 10:42 - Oct 30 Drop Berra completely, he is so slow with and without the ball. Cresswell Smith Chambers Hewitt Why split up the best defensive partnership in the league?
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Garv added 11:47 - Oct 30 It was about time a stupid Berra foul cost us, and that it did at Bolton. The highlights didn't do him any favours. Would much rather watch a back four of Hewitt Chambers Smith Cresswell.
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bohslegend added 12:06 - Oct 30 Some of you must really love being Ipswich fans.....
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