Boss Mick McCarthy has decisions to make at both ends of the field ahead of Town’s opening Championship game at home to Fulham a week on Saturday. Strikers Paul Taylor and Jack Marriott will be amongst those to come into the reckoning to partner Daryl Murphy up front, with David McGoldrick unlikely to start, while McCarthy is delighted to have plenty of options at the back.

McGoldrick is back in training following his knee injuries and could feature in one or both of Town’s final friendlies at Southend on Tuesday and Leyton Orient on Saturday, but the 26-year-old almost certainly won't be considered fit enough to make the XI when the Blues take on the Cottagers in August 9th’s live Sky game (KO 5.15pm).

McCarthy says Taylor will be in his thoughts, while 19-year-old Marriott has made an impression during pre-season, having scored twice, as has another alternative Frank Nouble.

“Tayls has done OK, but I didn’t think it was working for us [at Gillingham] with him, although that wasn’t so much [why he came off at half-time, more that] I wanted to look at Jack Marriott," he said.

“Jack deserved a start. The reason I didn’t start him was because I wanted to play [trialist] Balint Bajner and have a look at him. I changed it around and I thought Jack did well. Tayls continues to work hard and we’ll see.”

Taylor was given few opportunities during 2013/14 following his return from a long-term foot injury and McCarthy made him available for transfer at the end of the campaign. Would he still be willing to accept an offer if one was forthcoming?

“That was the end of last season,” McCarthy said. “Until the season starts I’m just keeping my options open and my powder dry in terms of what I would do and what I wouldn’t do.

“We’ve got two weeks to go and who knows what I might get in terms of injuries. I’ll make sure I’ve got the best group of players that I can have when we start and then, if somebody comes in for somebody that I don’t think is for me and the squad, I’ll let him go.”

At the back, Town have kept clean sheets in all four of their pre-season games up to now and having ruled out playing three central defenders and two wing-backs — “Not a chance” — the Blues boss has to decide who to leave out.

Christophe Berra and Tommy Smith were last season’s regular central pairing with skipper Luke Chambers — who has played at centre-half throughout pre-season so far — at right-back, while Tyrone Mings and Jonny Parr have both impressed at full-back since Aaron Cresswell's departure for West Ham.

“And don’t forget Elliott Hewitt!” McCarthy pointed out. “Wow, there’s loads of them! It’s great, isn’t it? It’s lovely having options.

“When you’ve only got four of them, you’re scared of injuries. I think I’ve got good players for each position and good cover, depending on who doesn’t play. There’s only one thing worse than having options and that’s not having any.”

Photo: Action Images

essextractorboy93 added 11:15 - Jul 28 Some people saying we have no goal threat without McGoldrick in the team... he wasn't playing for the last 2-3 months of last season and Murphy stepped up really well. Also feel like Marriott will get a lot more chances this season. McGoldrick probably won't play against Fulham but I'm sure we will play him at Crawley and slowly ease him back into things perhaps in time for Norwich. There are just some people being deliberately negative to stir things up, it's just part of supporting any club really. Most of us are quietly optimistic and excited for the season! COYB!!

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Jaffe added 11:17 - Jul 28 without McGoldrick's 16 goals last year we wouldn't have been mid table MM must be pretty sure this is all going turn our alright, if didz breaks down or isn't recovered we're bottom six and another season wasted
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TimmyH added 11:57 - Jul 28 It's all very well but didn't MM have options last season?
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TimmyH added 12:08 - Jul 28 ...it seems that 'everybody' has made an impression in the pre-season including Taylor, I think it's good to have an air of optimism as long as it's realistic. In my opinion it's good McG is making inroads back to fitness and it looks like we've kept hold of Berra too which is a positive after the sale of Cresswell, still need a few new faces in, a creative midfielder is still the massive void in our squad and maybe a proven goal scorer on loan. Question marks maybe still on the strength of our wingers too..maybe a big season ahead for Henshall?!

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Flewitt85 added 12:22 - Jul 28 werderbremenblue: with opinions like that they ate not welcome! True supporters don't want to hear that!
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Blue041273 added 12:29 - Jul 28 Wow! Not a ball kicked in anger and some 'so called supporters' are telling us that we should not bother and that the coming season is a write off already. Don't these people understand the real joys of anticipation of a new football season. I know that real football fans do. We all start equal with an intoxicating mixture of hope and expectation that this year will be different. But the clever dicks amongst us tell us that we are 'deluded'. Well these joyless specimens of inanity can go to hell. I, for one, am hugely optimistic about the new season. Optimistic about our chances; optimistic that the football served up will be of a high quality, and optimistic that we we will see some exciting games that give us things to mull over in the pub after the games and give us good things to remember over the course of the season. COYB.

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unknown100 added 12:32 - Jul 28 He'll play nouble and Murphy, I like McCarthy but he plays safe, especially against a team like Fulham, wouldn't surprise me if he played 4-2-3-1 and just Murphy
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ArnieM added 12:41 - Jul 28 Werdetv ...whatever your name is. Sling yer hook you pathetic scum inbred .
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jas0999 added 12:45 - Jul 28 Sadly we have fewer options than last season, unless as stated in the article we intend to utilise Hewitt and Marriott on a regular basis, then it's not so bad. The obvious problem is still the lack of a Jonny Williams type player. Still need a larger squad in my opinion ... It's a long season!
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Jaffe added 13:02 - Jul 28 can't see us getting a point from Fulham Reading Norwich or Derby and by that time our season will be over. why are we the only team that thinks we can get promoted without strengthening or spending?
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battyblue added 13:20 - Jul 28 We certainly wont get many points by sitting back in our own half defending and trying to stop the opposition form playing for a 0-0 we need to push up field and make them play in their on half for a change but like jaffe cant see us getting more than two points from these four teams.
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whosroundisitanyway added 13:22 - Jul 28 Jaffe Took 3 points off Reading & 4 from Derby (should have been 6) last season, did'nt play the other two. So on what do you base you're prediction??!
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bizman added 13:26 - Jul 28 Couple of points -McGoldrick was injured for half the season but with Jonny WIlliams on loan we were ok and created goals. I fully expect MM to sign one or two quality Loan players in the mould of Lingard or WIlliams again this season -MM has said this himself. Also, We have signed Henshall and Stewart who are creative, therefore we will be scoring more this season. Last season we could have created many more chances than we did, so just having two new wingers in will be a big asset this season.

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Jaffe added 13:58 - Jul 28 Norwich Fulham have £20m to keep/ strengthen their teams Derby were in play off final Reading finished above us we have lost loach cresswell Richardson Williams Edwards ebanks-blake taylor is transfer listed and mcgoldrick is injured nouble scored 3 taylor 1 and murphy had only scored 50 goals in ten years
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Jaffe added 14:17 - Jul 28 sorry that should be 37 in his whole career.
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bohslegend added 14:31 - Jul 28 jaffe, plenty of teams that spent more money than us finished below us last season. FACT.
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battyblue added 15:23 - Jul 28 re Taylor transfer listed or not i watched Perterbourgh a few times when he was their player he caused defenders all sorts of problems including us as well one evening i remember, he causes panic in defenses and creates chances for himself and others weather he scores or not while the ball is around the oppositions area its not in our net i don't think he has been given a fair chance yet and i doubt he ever will be,, don't forget he had a bad injury as well to recover from.

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karls_dad added 15:38 - Jul 28 I may be wrong but but is,nt Taylor one of our most expensive buys? the lad has obvious skill and flair, why MM kept playing Nouble last season i have no idea! if someone looked into the stats ie, Noubles actual game time etc and what he acuallyt produced goals, assists etc i,m sure they would show to be very poor! Please give Taylor some game time, this i,m sure will make him a different player and far superior to Nouble!

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bring_back_Wickham added 15:42 - Jul 28 Is Jaffe Blueboy1981(the really negative poster)'s wife or something?
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blueboy1981 added 15:44 - Jul 28 ........ problem is : Whatever MM says he will always go for his favourites, this talk about everyone starting of equal again is nonsense, and he knows it. Unfortunately, however well Taylor plays he will be on a hiding to nothing until he leaves and goes somewhere where his flair will be appreciated, and capitalised on. Too much 'flair' will scare the daylights out of MM. Not gone down too well with some - but WerderbremenBlue isn't too far wrong with his post. But let's be positive should we ? ............ and hope for better - not betting a penny on anything better than mid table tho'. All considered, that's about where we 'fit'.

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blueboy1981 added 15:48 - Jul 28 bring back Wckham ........... hope you're proud of such pathetic comment - try and understand the word TRUTH and you may find it all that much easier to take - REALITY is perhaps another word you could look up !!
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I_AM_GOD added 17:28 - Jul 28 How did the hungarian get on Saturday? And what is the likelihood of him staying?
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MattinLondon added 18:25 - Jul 28 If we play with two out-and-out wingers then that will hopefully eliminate the need for Nouble to run around like a headless chicken. Just stay in the box, get into position and hopefully score.
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Jackie added 18:26 - Jul 28 lots of dissent now that nodge are a championship club - coinkydence?
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 18:34 - Jul 28 I'm feeling cautiously optimistic about the coming season, but I can understand people like wederbremenblue who point out that some of us might be counting our chickens before they are hatched. As long as those of us whose glasses are half full at the moment continue to support the team if things go a bit pear-shaped then we can all agree. An obvious example occurs on 23/8. My heart says we will do ' em, but my head says we won't.

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