Town boss Mick McCarthy says he expects midfielder Cole Skuse to be fine to face Norwich in Sunday’s East Anglian derby at Carrow Road but Teddy Bishop has emerged as a concern due to an ankle injury, while several other players remain sidelined.

McCarthy says he “100 per cent” expects Skuse to be OK, the 28-year-old having been subbed in the first half of Tuesday's 4-2 victory over Birmingham: “He’s just told me he’ll be fit and I believe him, I’ve no reason not to.

“Skusey’s played most games, he’s not one of them that’s going to say ‘Gaffer, I’ll be fit’ when he’s not.

“Unless, of course, he wakes up in the middle of the night and he’s slept wrong. Or he goes to brush his teeth and his back goes into spasm, that can happen. You might get out of your car and [it happens]. But he’ll be fit, Skusey, I’m sure.”

However, Noel Hunt and Luke Hyam (both knee) and Darren Ambrose and Stephen Hunt (both hamstring) remain sidelined, while Bishop is a new concern.

“Teddy Bishop rocked his ankle in training but I’m hoping he’ll be OK as well. We’ll give him every chance, we’ll wait until tomorrow to make a decision on him.”

David McGoldrick also again misses out due to his thigh injury, which is more serious than was initially expected: “He’s bad enough that I’ve been out and got Chris Wood on loan.

“That’s given us four strikers again. It’s just turned out that it’s worse than we first thought it was.”

With matches coming thick and fast, McCarthy says he’ll have to rotate his squad in the games to come: “I think so. I don’t think for one minute that 10 outfield players are going to play every game.”

Meanwhile, local boy Hyam will watch the derby from the away end with some of his friends, while keeper Bartosz Bialkowski - the only current Town player to be part of an East Anglian derby-winning squad - has controversially shaved off his beard.

Photo: Action Images

Generic added 15:08 - Feb 27 I literally never knew Bartosz was loaned to us before - had to google that one. Signing Wood has made me more excited than scared about Sunday now - COYB!
5

blueherts added 15:08 - Feb 27 GUTTED THAT BISH MAY MISS BUT HOPE CONNOLLY GETS ON BENCH
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WadeyBlue added 15:13 - Feb 27 Not good about McGoldrick. However that answers the question about whether we will play 4-3-3 on Sunday. Which we wont. Looking forward to it though!
2

TimmyH added 15:35 - Feb 27 hhmmmm...will be disappointing if Bish misses this one, sure fire that Tabb and Anderson will start then - again where will the creativity be?
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bluefeast added 15:47 - Feb 27 February not a good month for Dids ,its a shame as he is different to anything else we have. I also wonder if hes happy , we never hear from him in the media ,we never hear of him doing community related events this season , unlike last. Reckon more to this Didsy saga than meets the eye.
3

strikalite added 15:50 - Feb 27 Tabb and Ando aren't going to rip up any trees on Sunday let's be honest, when I read Bishop a doubt the word b@llarx came out....we need some flair out there..
3

brazilblue added 15:51 - Feb 27 ANYONE SELLING ANY NORWICH TICKETS?
0

Surco72 added 16:01 - Feb 27 Bart Parr, Chambo , Smith , Berra, Mings Bru , Skuse, Tabb Murphy , Sears Counter attack football and nick one on break or get a draw Come on The Blues we are due a derby win , will carry us to promotion
1

Warkys_Tash added 16:03 - Feb 27 Great news about, Coley & Woods, lets also hope Bish is fit, we need all out best players. really wanted McG back lets hope he is back v.soon. FA Cup replay, no injuiries is what we prayed for and now 5 games missed. However, Freedie is on fire - lets hope Murph loses the mask.. Good news about Barts Beard - it must have been getting in his eyes for Tuesdays 2nd goal! - Phil why is that controversial?

2

paulthebluealien added 16:13 - Feb 27 Very good news about Skuse. Now, let's go and get that long overdue Derby win.
4

NSL added 16:14 - Feb 27 I'm not worried about playing pretty football on Sunday. In fact, I wish we could play Hunt, Hyam, Chaplow together and stick it up em' !!
0

Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 16:39 - Feb 27 Big improvement, Bart! See if you can persuade some of the others to follow suit. We could start a new trend: ITFC Beardless.
0

Len_Brennan added 17:41 - Feb 27 "has controversially shaved off his beard" What an extraordinary comment. A man had a shave; it's not exactly The Profumo Affair.
-1

nysully added 18:13 - Feb 27 After being at the last two matches in person I think we can expect "them" to press us high up the field, especially every time Chambers has the ball. I think Chambo finds himself on the ball as much as he does because teams close us down from attacking from the left wing. We have to have right sided midfielders demanding the ball from him. We are so much better when we play on the deck, every time the ball came into Sears and Murphy to their feet defenders are in trouble. Lastly MM has to get Mings to think the game for 90 minutes, his mental lapses are glaring but his skills are glaring as well, he will only get better when he becomes a complete player. Lastly I want to thanks everyone I met last week, one person nicer than the next, from the 5-a-side Friday night to the Dove Street Inn and Legends on Saturday and then back for the great win vs Brum. Wish I could go every week but going every 10 years or so makes the trip special. That said I wouldn't mind a reason to come over in May.......

3

jas0999 added 18:22 - Feb 27 A game we need a point from. Minimum. I wonder what the real story is with McGoldrick? Seems a bit suss to me. Anyone else think he is throwing a strop? Might just be me!! Hunt brothers and Ambrose unlikely to win new contracts I suspect. Injury prone.
3

warwickblue added 18:57 - Feb 27 A post from the Budgies website: “There was not one player out there in the January window who would improve that rabble of freebies, bench-warmers and rejects, though money was supposedly available. You have just got to love them. Roll on Sunday” If we needed any more motivation to go up the A140 and get the right result, this must surely be it....
6

Nthsuffolkblue added 19:05 - Feb 27 Warwickblue ... "that rabble of freebies" ... it does really make you smile when you think we are 2 points above their "Premiership players". Unfortunately, I am not overly confident we still will be in May but let's hope we will continue to punch above our weight while they flatter to deceive.
0

blueblood66 added 19:23 - Feb 27 warwickblue If I was Mick I would have that pinned up in the dressing room before the game..BRING IT ON
2

blueboy1981 added 20:15 - Feb 27 ....... I think as the season progresses more people are understanding the important role that Skuse plays within the team - just a shame he seems so goal shy, and never seems to even want to have pop. Could really enhance his game, if only he could add this to it.
4

PJH added 20:37 - Feb 27 I agree blueboy, but some of us have seen it all the time that he has been with us. I agree that playing Skuse and Hyam together does not really work but Skuse is very important to us.
4

Steelmonkey added 20:44 - Feb 27 Wecome Chris Woods, hope you make a big impression and enjoy your stay here. Sorry, but I just don't see it about Skuse, yes he does a job that needs to be done, but he doesn't set the world on fire. Was it just a coincidence that we managed to muster four goals after he had been subed, or just an inept Birmingham defence. Would love it if he broke his duck on Sunday. So come on that rabble of freebies and bench warmers, show those budgies what we can do. COYB's.

0

StochesStotasBlewe added 22:03 - Feb 27 Blueboy, PJH, Agree, Skuse does a lot of good work that maybe goes unnoticed by some, just a shame he can,t hit a cows arse with a banjo when in shooting range. A tenner on him to score the winner on sunday then.
1

tractorgrl added 22:32 - Feb 27 Hands up who wants to sing'he scored against the scum he'll score another one!
0

SitfcB added 22:35 - Feb 27 Mentioned on Twitter about AMBROSE being part of a derby winning squad!
0

Stourbridgeblue added 00:23 - Feb 28 No Bartman NO !!!!!
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