Town boss Mick McCarthy says he’s hopeful that both Cole Skuse and Ryan Fraser will be fit for Friday’s live Sky game against Birmingham at Portman Road (KO 7.45pm), while striker Freddie Sears will be fine having missed Tuesday’s game at Leeds with a tight hamstring.

Skuse and Fraser were both replaced in the 76th minute at Elland Road, the former Bristol City man with a knee problem and the Scotland U21 international having taken a series of knocks.

“I’m hopeful,” McCarthy said. “Cole came out and did the warm-up and he’ll be fine. Ryan’s still having treatment, so we’ll wait until tomorrow. He just got a kick, he got a few kicks, to be fair.”

McCarthy says Sears will also be OK to face the Midlanders: “Freddie’s fine. Freddie couldn’t have played at full tilt [at Leeds], at 100 per cent and I needed everybody at 100 per cent on Tuesday night.

“If he had gone out and tried it 100 per cent and he’d got injured we’d got 40 games left, 39 now, so there was no point.

“And I’ve got good strikers, it’s not like before when I’d got Murph and Didz and, with the greatest respect to all the others, they weren’t Murph and Didz.

“Well, I’ve got Murph and Didz and Brett and Freddie now and they’re all really good strikers.

“So, if one of them’s got a problem I don’t have to be wheeling him out and getting the best of him for 60 minutes, I’ve got options. It’s great.”

McCarthy also confirmed that Kevin Bru and Teddy Bishop should be back in the squad following their hamstring problems after playing for the U21s against Birmingham on Monday.

“Kevin’s trained and Bish trained yesterday, so I’m hoping that they’ll be OK,” the Blues manager added.

Recent signing Tommy Oar also played in the U21s game and could also be in the matchday 18 for the first time.

Friday's match is a Kid for a Quid game with under-16s able to watch the match for £1 in all areas of the ground.

Photo: Action Images

warktheline added 22:09 - Sep 17 @kirbmeister, do you have to keep spinning the wheel full circle everytime, whatever the result,the vast majority of posters like to air views on team performance, individual performance, manager selection etc. The general shape of our club at present is good, but try to allow people to analyse games over 90 mins of football, without accusing, or pointing the finger, at so called 'doom and gloom' merchants. Believe me, most on here are not aiming insults at our club... It shouldn't be taken as an attack on our club! What I'm trying to say is, don't take every 'negative' personally .

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ArnieMsBigToe added 22:29 - Sep 17 As far as Birmingham is concerned, you've all forgotten the 12th man. Who is the referee?
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TimmyH added 22:36 - Sep 17 @Langdon - Skuse and Hyam in the same team by and large has proved not to work and I can't see Mick dropping Skuse any time in the foreseeable future. Agree that so far on Douglas current showing Hyam would be the better alternative but when you consider Bish/Bru are almost back to full fitness where does that leave Hyam?..when he does get back to full fitness.
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StowTractorBoy added 22:55 - Sep 17 Referee is advertised as Keith Stroud who I believe is on the Premiership supply list. I hope MM plays Seers up top as he is a real goal scorer and wasted out wide. MM has a selection dilemma and we must stop the supply to Donaldson. Will be a tough game against a much improved Birmingham team. My biggest worry is the goalkeeper but we've banged the drum enough on this scenario.

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Kirbmeister added 23:32 - Sep 17 Warktheline - every time we lose most players and MM are slated on here - we win and most fans are in raptures. That's all I'm saying. It makes me smile.
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