Town boss Mick McCarthy admits that the international fortnight has come at a good time with the Blues having won just once in their last six league games and down to 12th in the Championship.

Despite the recent run of results, the Town manager will still give his players some time off.

“Yes, [it does come at a good time], but they’ll still get a break,” McCarthy said. “[People will think] that we’ll lash into them and really cane them, that’s not the case.

“We’ve potentially got Christophe Berra away, Ryan Fraser away, David McGoldrick away, Daryl Murphy away, Kevin Bru away, Tommy Oar away, Ainsley Maitland-Niles away, so that’s not going to help our cause in terms of working with the team."

Speaking to BBC Radio Suffolk, he added: “We’ll be in training, they’ll get a few days break and then when we come back on the Monday for the week building up to Huddersfield we’ll have to put a good shift in then.”

Having remained loyal to his first-choice players, he admits he is considering changes when the Terriers visit Suffolk: “I keep saying I’ve got the best squad of players I’ve had since I’ve been here, so maybe it’s time to look at a few others.”

McCarthy has no complaints about international breaks interrupting the Championship season, believing that players benefit from them with fixtures coming thick and fast.

“I think it gives players a chance to have a break and to rest up because we are only 10 games in and we’ve got all these games still to play,” he said.

“And then you get that bonkers period over Christmas and then that bonkers period over Easter, so maybe putting their legs up for three or four days will help them long term.”

Berra and Scotland face Poland at Hampden Park, Glasgow on Thursday and then take on Gibraltar in Portugal on Sunday as they complete their Euro 2016 qualifiers.

Fraser and U21s keeper Jonathan Henly are are due to meet up with the Scotland U21s for their European Championship qualifiers against France on Saturday and Iceland on the following Tuesday.

McCarthy said on Saturday that Fraser might well be forced out of those games due to the injury which forced him out of Saturday's defeat at Blackburn: “That’s a discussion that our physio’s got to have with them and I think he’s going to struggle for it.

“He got a knock before the Leeds game, he had a bad ankle and he got another knock in training the other day and had a scan. The scan’s clear but he’s just bruised bone.”

Murphy and McGoldrick’s Republic of Ireland play their final two Euro 2016 qualifiers against Germany in Dublin on Thursday and Poland in Warsaw on Sunday.

Winger Oar and Australia play a World Cup qualifier against Jordan in Amman on Thursday.

Maitland-Niles will be with the England U19 squad for their Euro 2016 qualifying group games in Skopje, Macedonia.

They face the hosts on Thursday, Finland two days later and Italy on the following Tuesday.

Bru’s Mauritius play Kenya in a two-legged World Cup qualifier at home on Wednesday and away on Sunday at the round one preliminary stage.

Defender Josh Yorwerth and keeper Michael Crowe will be with the Wales U21 squad for their Euro 2017 qualifier against Denmark in Aalborg on Friday.

Yorwerth’s loan club Crawley had a request to have Saturday’s home game against Leyton Orient postponed due to international calls denied by the Football League.

Winger Dylan Connolly will be with the Republic of Ireland U21 squad for their Euro 2017 qualifiers against Lithuania at the RSC in Waterford on Friday and Italy in Vicenza the following Tuesday.

Photo: Action Images

wkj added 06:05 - Oct 5 Hopefully our Mick will take this time to have a real big think amd get us out of this rut. Have faith in him but he does need to make some wholesale changes in tactics and squad selection. I wouldn't be suprised to have a loan come in at all but hopefully the key lies within the current squad
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sidtheswan added 06:10 - Oct 5 Sort it out MM it's been absolute dross recently . Expectations are high
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Benters added 06:14 - Oct 5 Start Didzy MM FFS !!!!
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battyblue added 06:16 - Oct 5 At last is he seeing the light lets start with Bart back in goal,then Bru in midfield along side Skuse, then ..Hang on whats the point.
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planetblue_2011 added 06:44 - Oct 5 Yes start with Bart, Bru, didzy & maybe parr or someone at Rb. We need to start winning again big time.
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Flewitt85 added 06:53 - Oct 5 Having remained loyal to his first-choice players, he admits he is considering changes when the Terriers visit Suffolk: “I keep saying I've got the best squad of players I've had since I've been here, so maybe it's time to look at a few others.” YES YES YES YES!!!! Finally. Start bru, start mcgoldrick, start the other goalkeeper (can't spell his name).
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bluefeast added 06:57 - Oct 5 Perhaps training can be about retaining the ball. We play in absolute isolation when attacking the final third with our midfield 50 metres from our strikers , have they heard about getting ahead of the strikers by making runs , you create more space by giving opposition defence something else to think about. Plus believe it or not you may get central midfield players actually score. Ps Douglas played in a midfield 3 for Brentford last season. Clearly he can't operate in a 2 man midfield , due to lack of mobility.

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warkthelint added 07:08 - Oct 5 Change the style of soccer we play - start attacking man..it's the only way out of this division and get rid of the sterile, boring and ineffective way which has made us only also-rans. Time for a big shake up. Do you want promotion MM or not ?
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Bob7881 added 07:12 - Oct 5 Please no loanees i want players who are committed to the club.
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StuartBrett8 added 07:21 - Oct 5 International breaks tend to ruin our good runs the last few times, as we're on a bad run it may have the opposite effect. Fingers crossed!
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BrettenhamBlue added 07:59 - Oct 5 We need a break like the desert needs rain. Terrible play and awful run of form. Some of the worst football I have ever seen us play. Coke, Douglas, Berra etc need to seriously re-evaluate how they play the game.
2

Keaneish added 08:00 - Oct 5 Music to my ears.... “I keep saying I've got the best squad of players I've had since I've been here, so maybe it's time to look at a few others.”
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pumpee added 08:35 - Oct 5 After watching the Manchester United game, those players that done well....ie Oar, Malarczyk, McGoldrick, why are they not given a chance?? We look a better team when McGoldrick and Pitman come off the bench....why are they not starting?? Why isn't Bart starting!! And something needs changing in central defence....drop Smith, move Chamber to centre and put Parr or Malarczyk or even Emmanuel on the right!

5

Elizabeth added 08:53 - Oct 5 Plenty of time to reflect and watch video footage of where things are going wrong !! Changes are a must to get us back on track !! Heres hoping ....
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peteswindon added 08:54 - Oct 5 Sort it out Mick otherwise we may get Brendan Rodgers in.
0

Wickets added 09:00 - Oct 5 Any fit creative midfielders available in the loan market Mick, someone who can pass and maybe we could sign him at Xmas. Luke Freeman, Alan Judge type.
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Bluetone added 09:18 - Oct 5 Quote “I keep saying I've got the best squad of players I've had since I've been here, so maybe it's time to look at a few others.” By Jove I think he's got it, at last I think he's got it. The noise you here is of pennies dropping.
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Surco72 added 09:22 - Oct 5 Bob... without loanees our season would be even poorer than it is - from what I have seen Frazer is as committed as anyone on the park and certainly been our best player so far . The issue is the untouchable players who get selected week in week out whatever their form or whoever the opposition is . MM has now been in as long as Jim Magilton was and their records are almost identical we have moved nowhere under Marcus Evans and MM can tell me this is his best squad until he is blue in the face but our keeper /defence and central midfield that he is playing are mid to low championship players and that is where we will end up without investment

6

Ipswich58 added 09:25 - Oct 5 MM beyond parody. I tell you what that Melchester Rovers are a top side. They'd trouble anyone and just cos they're bottom of Screwfux league div 3 means nowt.Got to respect them. As for needing to learn lessons and stop making same mistakes, well Mick take a look in the mirror.
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Kirbmeister added 09:29 - Oct 5 Whatever side we field just don't think we're any better than mid table. Football these days is all about fast paced counter attacking with flair. Just don't think we have the players. Same last season but we had Murphy on fire which carried us to the play offs.
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Wickets added 09:32 - Oct 5 I do agree Surco to much of what you say but you are a little harsh on the defence . Midfield is the problem for me. Dont think we have have been good enough there since Mick came in. Mick ex defender Terry ex attacker, could that be the problem?
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brian_a_mul added 09:41 - Oct 5 MM has some good options to try mix up the team a bit. Formation, 4-3-3 could be used a bit more. Chambers has come under real pressure now at RB. Berra & Smith wont be shifted so there is a big call to be made here. Also Bru needs to come back in, could work well with Skuse, Bru and Douggie in the 3 man midfield. Upfront, I love Murphy and he is a great focal point in 4-3-3 and can bring the wide players in to the game. For me its Murphy with Fraser and Sears. So many options, lets hope MM can get the recipe right

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blueherts added 09:57 - Oct 5 Murphy in the Ireland squad - really ?? Have Keane and O'Neill been watching him THIS SEASON -? Afew are still in based on last season - actually almost last year - If you look at form this calender year it is very poor - shipping goals for fun . As all have said on here Bru , Bart , Parr , Dids HAVE to start When Bish comes back - thanks - Maybe take Moncur at Colchester

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runningout added 10:01 - Oct 5 with weak keepers we are going in the wrong direction...
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paulcooperisgod added 10:11 - Oct 5 Bring back TABBY he's different class is our TABBY
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