Boss Mick McCarthy says Luke Varney is closing in on a return to action and negotiations regarding a permanent deal at Portman Road.

The 33-year-old, who was released by Blackburn at the end of June, ruptured an achilles while on loan with Town during the first leg of the play-off semi-final against Norwich City in May and has undergone his rehabilitation with the Blues.

Luke Hyam played his first game for the U21s at QPR at the end of last week having been sidelined since January with a knee injury and McCarthy says Varney, who made seven starts and five sub appearances for Town last season, scoring once, is also making progress with his recovery.

“He’s slightly behind Luke Hyam, he always was, but he trained with the first team, just in the Friday morning game. He looks fine, he’s coming on,” the Blues manager said.

While it’s expected that having chosen to undergo his rehab with Town - contractually Blackburn were obliged to get him back to full fitness - Varney will sign a deal with the Blues once he’s over his injury, McCarthy it’s not a fait accompli as things stand.

“It’s not quite as simple as that,” he added. “The process is like any other time, I guess. We’ll ask him if he’d like to sign, he’ll say how much are you offering me and we’ll get somewhere in between and if it’s all sorted out, he’ll sign.

“The really nice thing about it is that I would like to sign him and he wants to stay here and he wants to sign. But it’s not as cut and dried as that.

“But he is coming back from a very, very serious injury which, to be fair to him, could finish a player at his age and he’s done remarkably well.

“I’d like him just to get back so he is totally confident with what he’s doing and playing, and we are with him.

“And if we can agree something with him it’ll be great because he’s fabulous lad and a good player.”

Meanwhile, former Blues winger Stephen Hunt has ended his trial at Rotherham without being offered terms.

Manager Neil Redfearn said: “We can’t do anything with Stephen. It’s just how it’s fallen. With the players we have got in as well, we talked about strengthening other areas."

Photo: Action Images

whosroundisitanyway added 13:51 - Nov 25 Hull have millions in premiership parachute payments.
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whosroundisitanyway added 13:55 - Nov 25 Think one or two on here should knock the daytime drinking on the head.
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thebeat added 14:04 - Nov 25 Yes maybe we should knock the daytime drinking on the head. It makes us do crazy things like expect better signings than journeyman Varney.
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thebeat added 14:05 - Nov 25 A 33 year old journeyman with a poor goals record may i add
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Tractorboy1985 added 14:10 - Nov 25 Liam88 meet me face to face.. Saturday.. Charlton I'll be there! And u don't play 200+ games u berk before getting noticed that u r not up to standard!! Why do u think he's only played 10 mins here and there?? Coz he ain't up to!!
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liam88 added 14:10 - Nov 25 I think we should sign Ronaldo and messi up front with smalling and stones at the back
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whosroundisitanyway added 14:11 - Nov 25 thebeat Was'nt aimed at you, but if the cap fits. Just stating that Hull have a whole lot more financial pull than us at the moment.
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liam88 added 14:13 - Nov 25 Why not meet me now? Tommy smith prime example of playing over 200 games yet still making the same error in letting the ball bounce
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whosroundisitanyway added 14:15 - Nov 25 Looks like we might need two ref's at Charlton!
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Tractorboy1985 added 14:16 - Nov 25 U possibly are the biggest t**t I have ever come across on here Liam88 and I think many more share the same view! Offering fellow fans for a tear up??? Absolute w*nk*r!!!
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thebeat added 14:16 - Nov 25 whosroundisit i get ur point but im sorry even with our "supposed" small finances we can do miles better than Varney. He works hard i'll give him that but lacks the quality required if we want to get out of this league.
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SouperJim added 14:17 - Nov 25 So, a fight to the death between Tractorboy1985 and liam88 at The Valley on Saturday, to finally decide once and for all whether Giles Coke is a world beater or a panel beater. Maybe if we have a word with Sky it can take place inside the centre circle at half time with Kris Kamara as the ref? Unbelievable Jeff!
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MattinLondon added 14:33 - Nov 25 He is a player who will run his heart into the ground for his team mates, who is honest and gets on with his job with no fuss whatsoever. A typical MM player…it is just a shame that he lacks that extra bit of skill to help get a team promoted.
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thebeat added 14:33 - Nov 25 Im sure if Sky are contacted about it they'll put it on the undercard of Klitschko v Fury!!
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liam88 added 15:13 - Nov 25 Haha didn't even offer a punch up, only defending my comment about giving someone a chance all of a sudden I'm a tw*t and a w*nker, to be honest I'd fight anyone in defence town fan or anyone
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BackTheBlues added 15:15 - Nov 25 One of those occassions where... regardless of whether he adds anything on not I think we owe it to him to give a contract til the end of the year to prove he still has something to offer! Had done a brilliant job and picked up this nasty injury against our nearest and not so dearest... Personally I think he gives a different dimension - his leap off the ground is phenomenal!

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whosroundisitanyway added 15:58 - Nov 25 Get liam & Tractorboy on "I'm a celebrity" Might make it worth watching?
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whosroundisitanyway added 16:03 - Nov 25 Think it's a case of too much Coke makes you a bit hyper!
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prebbs007 added 17:43 - Nov 25 Our back 5 is bang average !! Actually no it's not, it's massively below average. Gerk the Berk with glue on his backside so he can't come off his line would not get in a league 1 team. Chambers is the worst full back in the division. Smith costs us so many goals, panicks every time the ball is on his right foot but mr stubborn keeps picking him at RCB, Berra has to cover everyone else and Knudsen is terrible, even his secret weapon long throw is rubbish. Rather than concerning ourselves with squad/back up players like varney & coke we should be worried about our atrocious back 5 that let us down game after game but MM pucks regardless. They are out of form out of position and out of ability and yet he says no loans because there is nothing better out there than we have. You must be delusional Mick. Wake up and sort the real issue which is you and your refusal to drop the dross in our defence !!!

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Cakeman added 19:09 - Nov 25 Len Brennan I absolutely agree with you, Varney ran his heart out for us and made an impact. The very least he deserves is another chance. PS he is younger in age than both Murphy and Douglas So I would have thought he has more than a chance of being just a squad player if he can overcome his injury.
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Ipswichbusiness added 20:26 - Nov 25 Barnet and Coke to me are two of a kind. They are both honest footballers who will give their all and do a short term job covering a position in which a club is short. However, we are not short up front with the likes of Pitman, Murphy, Sears and McGoldrick and we're not short in midfield with the likes of Skuse, Douglas, Bru and ANM. Therefore, what is the point of them? They cost money and block chances for youngsters who may grow into being vastly better than them.

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Ipswichbusiness added 20:30 - Nov 25 That should have read Varney not Barnet!
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GiveusaWave added 05:56 - Nov 26 You'd have to read this to believe it.... How on earth are Liam88 and Tractorboy1985 going to identify each other in a huge crowd of people? Anyway, Varney and Coke are about the same in my book, though Varney is more technically gifted, better in the air, a better passer, better at shooting, has more creativity and is a bit quicker. Hmmm....ignore my last comment. They are not the same.

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BrettenhamBlue added 07:29 - Nov 26 Bloody Hell. I leave for a few hours and find a riot on site! Charlton fans will find it hilarious that we are fighting each other rather than the opposition. This isn't the days Of Gladitorial Rome. Gr8 reason for an all out conflict. Whether Giles Coke is any good or not.
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