Town will again be without strike pair Daryl Murphy and Luke Varney for Saturday’s game away against leaders Middlesbrough but midfielder Teddy Bishop is expected to be back in the squad.

Manager Mick McCarthy confirmed that Murphy, who suffered a calf injury while away with the Repubic of Ireland recently, and Varney, who has a hamstring problem, will both again miss out.

“Murph’s not fit, Luke Varney’s not fit,” he said. “We are where we were in terms of injuries and knocks, bumps and bruises.”

Also missing will be Larsen Touré, who suffered a groin injury in training last week, and Giles Coke, who is out for the season having undergone knee surgery.

Loanee midfielder Ben Pringle will be back having been unavailable against his parent club Fulham on Tuesday.

Bishop played and scored for Town’s U21s in their 2-1 defeat at Sheffield United on Monday and McCarthy says that all being well he will be on the bus travelling to Teesside on Friday afternoon.

“We’ll just see how he is tomorrow,” the Town boss added. “He’s just had a break off it because if he’s going to be involved on Saturday I need him to be fresh. It was his first 90 minutes for about a million years.”

McCarthy says he’ll not field an experimental side against Boro, although might give one fringe player a run-out.

“I may have a look at one, possibly, and the view would be that if he’s involved in the squad and he’s got to play at some stage we need to know [if he's up to it] and it’s a good game to find out, that’s for sure.

“But I won’t be tinkering too much, I think we have a duty to everybody else in the league.

“I know we’ve a duty to ourselves, but we still want to win the game and try to get something out of it, so I won’t be experimenting too much. I’ll keep who it is to myself for now because I may not do it.”

McCarthy says on-loan Arsenal youngster Ainsley Maitland-Niles could still be involved this season, despite the Blues boss now looking to the future, having given Andre Dozzell his debut and included fellow youngsters Adam McDonnell, Josh Emmanuel and Myles Kenlock on the bench at Hillsborough last week.

“He’s in the squad all the time but there has been the thought that with the play-offs having gone, mathematically we get in them but I’m not holding any hope on that one, we have got players that I need to have a look at and we’ve got some of our players on the bench. He’s still involved and he may well still be involved in terms of playing.”

Might Maitland-Niles, 18, return for a second season? “We’ll have a chat, I’m not sure that will happen but he will be a much better player for the 12 months that he’s had here, no doubt, and everything that he’s enjoyed, endured, experienced in a Championship season will make him a better player, no doubt.

“Wherever he ends up, I don’t think it’ll be here, he’ll be a better player for it, certainly.”

Photo: Action Images

floridaboy added 14:29 - Apr 21 Sorry but for me Murphy is looking at the Euros and is not interested in the team in case he gets Crocker Put him up for sale, one season wonder who is costing an awful lot in wages that would be released for a couple of younger hungerier players He will go to the Euros and then miss the first few weeks of the new season because he will be so tired!!!
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jas0999 added 15:34 - Apr 21 Murphy's season looks over to me. No point rushing him back. May as well make do. Not convinced Murphy is going to be the answer next season after this disappointing campaign. Was delighted to see Varney recover from injury. He deserved a deal, but with a poor goal scoring record will surely move on in the summer as we search for considerably better. Said at the time I was disappointed with Coke and Toure signings. Why we gave them two year deals I will never know. Neither even remotely good enough if we are serious about promotion. But looks like they will both stay. Shame.

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head1970 added 15:43 - Apr 21 Anyone going to this game must have plenty of money to waste or a s**t home life.
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ArnieM added 15:46 - Apr 21 Bloody calf pull and Murphy's out for how long!!
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DurhamTownFan added 15:47 - Apr 21 I fear for our chances if they get a goal early on. I'm sure we'll set up to be dogged in defence, but if Boro get a good start I'm not sure there's the resilience in our XI right now to knuckle down. Hate to sound all negative and I'd LOVE if we nicked it, but I can't see anything other than a Boro win.
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Daleyitfc added 16:14 - Apr 21 Expect Mr Has-been to play all 3 lumps of stodge in midfield for this one.
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vanmunt added 16:23 - Apr 21 I'm pretty much done myself... not going to bother with the last game at PR that I try and get to, genuinely have better things to spend my money on. On a side note as I am in full whinge mode, this will be the first year I will not be buying any Town T Shirts or Polo's to take on my summer hols. I don't want to talk football to fellow holiday goers as it is frankly embarrassing the hoofball we play. Neg away'

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dugoutdave added 16:49 - Apr 21 I cant think of a good reason why I should, but I suspect that we won't see Murphy in an ITFC shirt again.
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muccletonjoe added 16:59 - Apr 21 Murphy i think has had his day. Pitman hardly looking much better either. Both will be back with just as many goals next season . For those still interested.
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happybeingblue added 17:44 - Apr 21 10 men behind the ball saturday hope the boro fans dont think they are going to be entertained ...shades of mick mcgiven in charge when we were booed off at old trafford yrs ago for putting 10 men behind the ball for the entire 90 mins... rhodes and nugent up top ill take a 0-4 defeat now :))
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Dissboyitfc added 18:05 - Apr 21 "But we wont be tinkering to much, i think we have a duty to everybody else in the league". That is very true. You also had a duty towards the supporters of Ipswich when you put out experimental/ weakened teams in the cup games!
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Garv added 18:14 - Apr 21 Surely experimenting would be the logical thing to do? Whether with tactics or personnel. We've been awful recently and we're going to keep going with the same method?
4

Kirbmeister added 18:16 - Apr 21 Boro must be so pleased they have a certain win Saturday with only two games to play after that.
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Seasider added 18:32 - Apr 21 McCarthy says chance to include some youngsters,a couple of games ago,when play off chances faded,although not all in same game. All we have had so far is just Andre Dozzell,and now he says to be fair to other teams,he will probably make one change at most;so it seems we will have the wooden top twins Huff & Puff,as Budgie plucker calls them,once again gracing our midfield.Chambers,who as Captain,should have made more effort to prevent Fulhams goal plus his other usual favourites 10dacki and Gcon may have enjoyed Tuesdays game but I didn't;and surprisingly nor did MM who called it horrible;but didn't know the cause for the bad run. Well Mick think it could be that your players spend so much time chasing around for the ball in the first part of the season,like last season;so by Jan they are knackered. How about they learn to pass forward and move quicker especially midfield,and not leave it 70 mins before a shot on goal. After many years two of our little group have given up their season tickets and another is given it 1 more year,his first game was 1962. Like many it is the standard of football mainly,although the attitude of the Manager plus the disinterest of the remote owner are also contributing factors. I fear that neither will return

11

pup12 added 19:01 - Apr 21 Can somebody please the starting 11 Saturday that Murphy is not on pitch!That way the might not pump the bloody ball in the air too him!!!?!!im afraid I agree can see nothing but a borough win.Maybe even a heavy defeat if we don't compete!No youngsters blooded because that's not fair to other challenging teams! Great so we have no chance of us playing another style of football !!Coke out for remainder of season that's a massive blow(not).Just don't see what we are trying to do in games anymore?Anyone travelling to watch this rubbish is crazy(sorry,I'm a true blue but...)

3

Bergholtblue added 19:14 - Apr 21 Head1970 and Pup.... or a loyal supporter that will follow his/her team through thick and thin.
0

Surco72 added 19:29 - Apr 21 We have got a duty to select the same crap no creating ,no scoring defensive midfielders and unbalanced defence that we have all season so that Boro home fans can be equally bored at our style of out dated play that the rest of the league has formed an opinion of all season . The team you have been selecting all season could get an absolute hiding anyway MM at least the youngsters might have a bit of desire to play even if they get beat

7

vanmunt added 19:51 - Apr 21 Great post dissboy, spot on.
2

Elto added 20:19 - Apr 21 My boy and I will be going. I'll be spending time with him I otherwise wouldn't. We have a laugh, the football is secondary. Anyway, with a few exceptions, the away games have not been bad this season. Far better than the rubbish at Portman Rd. COYB.
2

midastouch added 22:56 - Apr 21 Agreed jas0999. Varney doesn't look up to the task. Shame as it would have been good to see him come good for us after his nasty injury, but there's little room for sentiment in the football. We need players who can find the back of the net. Given are midfield contributes so few goals (i.e. ExSkuse) it puts even extra pressure on the strikers. Varney and ExSkuse don't appear to me to be the Dream Ticket back into the Premier League. In fact Varney, at least what little of what I've seen of him due to his injury, looks about as bad as Connor Sammon!

1

midastouch added 22:57 - Apr 21 We urgently need out midfield to chip in with more goals next season or we can forget it, that is unless we can find a striker to bang in 30 goals to compensate, but that's a big ask!!!
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Walk_the_Wark added 23:29 - Apr 21 Can anyone in the know please tell me if this manager is going to walk/ get the push before next season? We surely can't limp on any longer with this idiot...
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Pilgrimblue added 23:40 - Apr 21 Time to try out Patterson or Mcloughlan now that Murphy won't be around this season. I thought Pitman was pitiful and Fredie was as usual out of position. Borough are a big side so no point in lumping up but that's all MM will want. Taxi for the Idiot please
3

planetblue_2011 added 04:34 - Apr 22 Oh dear Rhodes & Nugent say no more. Only positive for next season is we've got some young talent coming through the ranks but will Mick play any of them next season?!! Hope this is his experiment or is it to play Skuse & Douglas up front🚜💨
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