Manager Mick McCarthy admits it was tough to pick his team for tomorrow’s home game against Rotherham as the Blues look to stretch their winning run to four games.

After beating Millwall and Brighton at home, McCarthy made tactical changes for Monday’s 2-1 win at Wigan and it's inevitable that there will be players who can count themselves unfortunate not to be involved against the Millers.

The Town boss, who has a fully fit squad from which to pick his side, said: “It’s not easy to create an environment where players are happy to be left out. In fact you can’t, let’s clear that up. But you can get them to understand and accept, there’s a difference.

“If you win, that helps. If you don’t then they’ve got every reason to come chapping at my door. So, let’s hope we win, whatever decisions I make people will accept them.

“It’s about trust and being honest with them and telling them reasons why and not just sticking a teamsheet up and saying ‘Don’t be knocking on my door’.

“There are lots of ways of telling them and I tell them all on the morning when I’m doing training. It’s Friday today, so the ones who are playing know and the ones who aren’t equally know.

“In fact that’s more important to me, to tell the ones who aren’t playing, because the curly finger on a Friday morning and to be told you’re not playing isn’t the nicest thing to get.”

Midfielder Cole Skuse limped off towards the end at Wigan but McCarthy expects the former Bristol City man to be fine: “He’s got a bit of a sore toe but he’s been carrying that for a while, so I’m hoping he’ll be OK.

“Jay Tabb is all right [having missed the Wigan game due to flu], he trained today, he’s fine. Cameron Stewart had a game this morning with the U21s, they had an 11-a-side, so he’s had a bit of football.

“Alex Henshall got a kick the other day but he’s OK. Hunty’s trained fully with the first team, so he’s OK, so I think everybody’s fine.”

Dean Gerken will keep his place in goal and the Town manager is unlikely to make any changes to his defence with full-backs Tyrone Mings and Jonny Parr continuing on the left and right respectively and Christophe Berra and skipper Luke Chambers in the middle.

Mings and Berra will face one-match bans if they pick up another yellow card having already been booked four times this season.

Rotherham have tended to start 4-4-2, which may lead McCarthy to return to the XI he fielded for the Millwall and Brighton games, which would see Tabb and Paul Anderson return in the wide roles with Skuse and Teddy Bishop continuing in the centre.

If that's the case, David McGoldrick and Daryl Murphy would be up front with both Monday’s goalscorers, Luke Hyam and Conor Sammon, dropping to the bench.

Alternatively, McCarthy may feel that 18-year-old Bishop needs a rest with the Blues having three games in eight days and Hyam could keep his place.

The Blues boss warns that the 19th-placed Millers will be no soft touch: “We’ve just won three on the bounce, they’re a team who has come up with momentum, they’ve won back-to-back promotions.

“Their results have been a bit mixed but their performances have been pretty good. We saw them against Charlton. They changed their shape in the second half and they played really well and dominated that game and came back from one behind.

“So they’ve got a bit of spirit about them, but because we’ve won three on the bounce and suddenly it’s Rotherham at home the expectation is that we’ll win. Well, it doesn’t work like that, and that’s why I said it would be the hardest game.”

Town are yet to win four games in a row under McCarthy’s management. They last won four on the trot under Paul Jewell during January and February 2012 when West Ham were thrashed 5-1 at Portman Road and then Coventry and Portsmouth were beaten away and Cardiff were vanquished at home.

Millers boss Steve Evans, whose side are without a win in their last five games in all competitions, says he was impressed with Town at Wigan: “Ipswich were excellent on Monday night, nothing you wouldn't expect from Mick and Terry. They'll be tough.

“I have a lot of respect for Mick and the Ipswich fans are in for some exciting times with him in charge.”

The former Boston boss says his side are settling into life in the Championship: “We said it would take 12-15 games to prove themselves at this level and we're starting to see that now.”

In addition to on-loan Town pair Paul Taylor and Anthony Wordsworth, who are ineligible, Rotherham skipper Craig Morgan is suspended having amassed five bookings, but striker Alex Revell is over a dead leg.

Central defender Kari Arnason has a knock and is a doubt, as is midfielder Richie Smallwood, who has a hamstring problem.

Long-term absentees are centre-half Richard Wood (knee) and midfielders Rob Milsom (ankle), Conor Newton (hernia) and Mark Bradley (knee).

The sides last met at Portman Road in April 2005 when the Blues went back to second in the Championship after defeating the already relegated Millers 4-3 with Darren Bent scoring twice and Ian Westlake and Jim Magilton one each.

The scoreline ought to have been far more emphatic - the Blues were 4-1 up with 23 minutes remaining - but complacent defending gifted the Millers three goals with Tony Thorpe, Martin Butler and Martin McIntosh on the scoresheet for the visitors.

In the previous August at the Millers’ former home Millmoor, two Shefki Kuqi goals either side of half-time gave the Blues their first away win of the 2004/05 season.

The home side rarely threatened as Town cantered to third place in the Championship table.

Overall, the Blues have won 12 of the previous games between the sides, all of which have been in the league, seven have ended in draws, with the Millers having won five.

The Rotherham squad currently includes the unavailable Taylor and Wordsworth as well as former Blues keeper Scott Loach and ex-loanees Frazer Richardson and Paul Green.

No member of the current Town squad has played for the Millers, but academy coach Alan Lee had a successful spell with the South Yorkshiremen between 2000 and 2003 and fitness coach Andy Liddell was briefly a player and caretaker-manager there late in his career.

Fans travelling to the game by train from the direction of London should note there are service alterations due to maintenance work.

Saturday’s referee is Lee Collins from Surrey, who has shown 21 yellow cards and no red in six games so far this season. Collins, who has previously refereed only five matches at Championship level, will in charge of his first fixture involving the Blues.

Squad from: Gerken, Bialkowski, Parr, Hewitt, Mings, Berra, Chambers, Smith, Skuse, Bishop, Hyam, Anderson, Tabb, Henshall, Hunt, Ambrose, Bru, Stewart, McGoldrick, Murphy, Sammon, Bajner.

Photo: Action Images

runningout added 15:29 - Sep 26 like every game this season, Rotherham will make it very tough for us to get a point or even three
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thatdamgood89 added 15:35 - Sep 26 No tough choice at all! W are the home team we impose our style of play! Exactly the same team Mick
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pazelle added 15:38 - Sep 26 I think we'll rest Bishop for this one, coming off the bench if need be. 2-0!
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Arthur added 15:48 - Sep 26 You're beginning to play with my expectations Mick. COYB
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cookra added 15:51 - Sep 26 I can see some changes in midfield this week, Hyam looked good against Wigan and the 4-3-3 worked well against a team who played a similar system think he'll revert back to 4-4-2 and play skuse and Hyam till skuse gets a knock and bring on Bishop
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ipswichtillidie added 15:51 - Sep 26 See no reason the rest Bishop. Bringing back the hyam, skuse partnership would be a backward step for me. To progress it's either one or the other in a 442 unless we play 433 of course with Teddy at the top. I expect MM might match them up and would see Hyam back on the bench. (Harsh on him)
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StowTractorBoy added 16:14 - Sep 26 In my opinion MM will revert to Anderson, Skuse, Hyam and Tabb in midfield. It is tried and trusted and think we will need the tenaciousness of Hyam against Rotherham. We will I may add need Hyam to move forward more as against Wigan. Say what you like about Skuse and I like him, but if he is not involved we miss him as on Monday. When he went off we just were not the same. If we have to chase the game then the likes of Bishop can be brought on. Come on Town need these 3 points with two very tough away games looming.

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salforduniblue added 17:23 - Sep 26 That Kuqi goal at Millmoor was a bit special
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flashblue added 17:49 - Sep 26 Far better to start with Bishop and bring him off than the other way round. I would start with Skuse and Bishop. Hyam will get some game time. He'll be OK.
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tractorboy12341234 added 18:02 - Sep 26 The Rotherham defence is virtually paceless, really want to see Stewart play on the left instead of Tabb
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jas0999 added 18:27 - Sep 26 It's a home game, against a beatable side, so anything but Skuse and Hyam in a middle two, if we play a 4-4-2. Also, we certainly didn't miss Tabb on Monday, so just feel we need a bit more pace in that position.
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brittaniaman added 19:11 - Sep 26 Tough Decision MM Yes, The right one could make you manager of the month !!!!
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Monkey_Blue added 19:20 - Sep 26 ipswichtillidie Bishop has played 3 games on the trot and came off with cramp on Monday.. I think its worth resting him, especially as we have everyone(Except Collison) available. Rotherham a pretty physical side so Hyam would get my vote. If I was going to bet I'd say it would be the same side that started against Brighton and Millwall except hyam for bishop.
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Pip50 added 19:23 - Sep 26 Can someone explain why this a tough game. They can't play their two best players, score .75 goals a game have win ratio of .25 with one win away. Supposedly we are play off material should be a cricket score.
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rambohambo added 20:16 - Sep 26 Bill stomped his toe on the sofa but he's okay , roger has lost his leg so he will be up front, Dave has had a boob job so he's starting , bob lost he's false teeth so he's in goal , Kyle has had a hip replacement and is ok he's the skipper for the game, john has trained fine and is fully fit so he's watching from the stands.
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Stato added 21:17 - Sep 26 I would swap Berra for Smith and protect Berra from suspension in much tougher away games coming up.
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carsey added 22:45 - Sep 26 BossMan I like that idea. Regarding Bishop I really get fed up when people go on about resting players. It's what they do for goodness sake. At his age he should be able to play a game every day and if he gets cramp ask the medical staff to sort it out. In any event we have to start with him in the middle. This is Rotherham not some top 6 Premier League team - get out there and stuff them early then young Bishop can come off after 70 minutes

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Fat_Boy_Tim added 23:16 - Sep 26 Resting Bishop at some point is inevitavbly going to happen. Saying he's young and can play every match is nieve, he got cramp at Wigan and was noticably less effective than against Derby or Millwall (His match ratings for the last 4 have been 7.9 - 8.0 - 6.8 - 6.9). We want him to play because he's got a spark but it will diminish if he's over-played. Although you can't take any game for granted in the Championship I would rather have Skuse-Hyam for this game and Bishop fit and firing for the next two because they are clearly tougher fixtures. Skuse is finally coming into form as a holding midfielder as is Hyam pushing on (Class finish at Wigan and in the right place at the right time). I think Anderson and Tabb with Mings and Parr behind will be too much for the Millers tomorrow. COYB

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KiwiTractor added 01:06 - Sep 27 This game definitely has the potential to be a banana skin, but I'm hoping the confidence the lads should have taken from the last 4 matches will carry on. Good luck, do us proud.
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stevelincsexile added 06:55 - Sep 27 Leaving shortly for the game making a weekend of it staying with family in Lowestoft tonight to celebrates top 6 spot. What slightly concerns me is the midfield, we seem top heavy. This squad has potentially eleven and twelve when you add Collinson. I fear for the likes of Henshall and Bru who may not get a look in.
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TimmyH added 11:24 - Sep 27 Can see Mick resting Bishop and reverting back to the 442 with Tabb out wide left and Anderson on the right (as a few others have mentioned). Rotherham certainly will be no pushovers but a game we should win.
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