Boss Mick McCarthy is delighted to have midfield linchpin Cole Skuse back in training, the 28-year-old having missed the last two games with the bug which has also laid low Teddy Bishop and Jay Tabb.

While Bishop remains on the sidelines and will miss Saturday’s trip to Millwall, Skuse and Tabb should be OK to return to the Blues’ midfield at the Den.

“He does give you composure, he’s very measured in what he does, Skusey,” McCarthy said. “He helps control the tempo of the game for us. Just watching him in training, you realise how important he is to us.

“Whether the results would have been different or not, I don’t know because when you start talking about how much we’ve missed somebody it’s detrimental to the ones who have played and I don’t like doing that. Those lads haven’t done anything wrong but Skusey’s been outstanding all season.”

He hopes Bishop will be available for the trip to Brighton next Wednesday: “He won’t be playing, he’s been poorly all week. He’ll be out and hopefully will be all right for Brighton.”

Having done well against Southampton last night, Kevin Bru looks set to keep his place in the centre of midfield in the 18-year-old's absence, probably alongside Skuse.

“He has impressed whenever’s he’s come into the side,” McCarthy said. “I thought he was excellent [against the Saints]. He’s got real quality Kevin.”

McCarthy says the Mauritian international has been unfortunate not to have had a long run in the side with injuries and the form of other players both having been factors.

“Whatever it is, whether he’s been left out because I’ve changed the team or he was out because he got an injury and never got back in, and we’ve been having good results as well.

“But he has contributed to that along the way in the run that we’ve had when he came in a couple of times.”

Meanwhile, The Town boss says he rested left-back Tyrone Mings on Wednesday, pointing out that the 21-year-old is still in the early stages of his senior career.

“Tyrone was on the bench because we play Saturday-Wednesday-Saturday-Wednesday and this is his first full season,” he added. “I think he’s only played 30 league games. I wanted him fit and fresh for Saturday.

“He was very good when he came on. He’s a good player, that’s why they all keep coming, telling me how good he is.”

Photo: Action Images

JackITFC96 added 06:44 - Jan 16 I also said this to a couple of other fans that didn't like what I was saying. I have never rated Skusey but when I was at the Derby match the other day I realised how much we missed him, a very very underated player
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kuyski added 07:00 - Jan 16 Give new contract to bru asap before other clubs have intresting to him.
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Luka added 07:11 - Jan 16 Always rated Skuse, me, his work is the type of work that is only noticed once it stops getting done. Derby and Southampton are prime examples of this
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Europablue added 07:20 - Jan 16 I half suspect that McCarthy was happy to keep Mings out of the spotlight a little by resting him against Southampton, but coming on he seemed to outshine everyone in a very dreary FA cup tie. Thank God we are out of all the cups and can concentrate on the league :)
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prebbs007 added 07:23 - Jan 16 "Would results have been different" "those lads (who came in) haven't done anything wrong". Please MM. Watch the 2 games again. Hyam was/is an embarrassment. Total key passes - zero total fwd passes - very few total backward passes - loads total times ball given away - numerous. He is so far away from championship level. Those of you that say "one of our own" so what !!! Not good enough and needs replacing. Toszer from Watford is quality. S.Hunt also shown up to be not good enough. Headless chicken running we don't need. Quality we do. Cameron Stewart needs to be given a chance, or go get Jessie Lingaard on loan who was watched the other night. The current midfield COULD cost us a top two spot in our best chance for a decade to go up. ME needs to back his manager and it won't need much. COYB

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bluefeast added 08:09 - Jan 16 PREBBS007 totally agree with all you said in your above post
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muccletonjoe added 08:18 - Jan 16 Can't argue with the fact that midfield was a serious issue in last 2 games, but very few people were on the top of their form in those games. We shall see if a change in personnel makes any difference tomorrow
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Jimmy86 added 08:38 - Jan 16 If fit Skuse must start ahead of Hyam, who has been poor the last 2 games. Skuse can do the same job as Hyam, buy is so much more composed on the ball. I think when we bring in a new striker we should go back to 4 3 3 with bru skuse and Bish in midfield 3
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Guthrum added 08:58 - Jan 16 Vital to have Skuse back in the side.
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Kropotkin123 added 09:43 - Jan 16 “He helps control the tempo of the game for us." http://www.twtd.co.uk/forum/329419/2740493/hoof-ball-by-kropotkin123#2740493 MM copying me again! :P
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Surco72 added 10:05 - Jan 16 Personally I don't think there is a lot between Skuse and Hyam , nobody was moaning about Hyam after the away game against the Saints where he put in a proper shift against Wanyama and Schneiderlin . And I for one don't think Skuse would have made any difference against Derby or Saints as the game was controlled by the opposition easily and we didn't have the flair or creativity to break either side down , and Skuse certainly does not add that . It is pace out wide and creativity next to Skuse or Hyam that we need IMO

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StowTractorBoy added 10:19 - Jan 16 When Skuse first arrived I was not sure about him but I am now and he is a must in our line up. He rarely loses the ball and although passes may go back or sideways he dictates the pattern of play bringing other players into the game. We really missed him on Wednesday but the Hyam bashing is a bit unfair. No we wasn't good against Southampton but he got a nasty knock and has been out for a few games. People seem to forget how good he was earlier in the season when he was 'one of our own' now all of a sudden he gets stick which will not help his confidence. A must win tomorrow so lets see a decent performance and get a result in front of our large following.

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UhlenbeekDownTheWing added 10:23 - Jan 16 Anti-Hyam sentiment frustrates me hugely. His role in the team is largely a destructive one, and this is even more the case when he is not playing with Skuse. There have been many players over the years who have been of huge value to their team without scoring/assisting every other game (Claude Makelele at the very top end (17 goals in 607 appearances!) but players like Nicky Butt (30 in 431) and Robbie Savage (37 in 537) as well). Most teams have a Hyam type player, who does the dirty work (he covers a ridiculous distance each game, is strong over the ball and has never pulled out of a challenge) - most of these players don't create chances. Whilst Hyam didn't play as well as any of us would have liked versus Derby or Saints, I think he deserves some credit for the fact that I didn't think the Derby and Saints midfielders (perhaps Reed aside who impressed me on Weds) had particularly impressive games either. I agree if fit Skuse comes back into the team, but there is a big risk of us getting run over in the centre if neither Skuse nor Hyam start.

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Simonds92 added 10:28 - Jan 16 Definitely would have made a significant difference against Derby. I think that finally confirmed to me that Hyam is not quite ever going to be good enough. Skuse would of been our john eustace and it could have been a very different game. You saw the difference because although not blessed with incredible talent eustace broke up our play with interceptions small niggly fouls and not allowing our players to win the second ball off our strikers. Yes he got sent off in the last minute but he had already done his job. For me skuse does a similar type of job for us albeit with a lot more quality on the ball and I think Hyam got found out, he puts us under pressure consistently and if meant to be a holding midfielder he is horribly out of position a lot of times during a game and unfortunately doesn't have the technical ability to be a complete midfielder imo

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TimmyH added 13:23 - Jan 16 Hyam generally plays better if he gets to play higher up the pitch not so much playing in front of the back 4 whilst Skuse is more composed on the ball and passes better. Unfortunately for Cole he lacks little goal threat and rarely creates that much. So at this current moment maybe Skuse should come in for Hyam - but they both played well together when we pressed Wigan high up the field STOPPING Wign passing (one of the rare occasions).

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