Town boss Mick McCarthy has hinted that midfielder Teddy Bishop will be one of the fringe players who will come into his side at Rotherham United on Saturday.

The 20-year-old has had another frustrating season having made only six starts and 13 sub appearances having missed virtually the whole of 2015/16 through a succession of injuries.

Recently he had been sidelined with a groin problem but has impressed in two U23s matches and McCarthy says he would benefit from a return to the first team.

“I think it would be great for him if he can get a game,” the Blues manager said. “He’s missed a lot of football. He’s missed a lot of training, it’s been really tough for him, but he’s training really well at the minute and he’s fit. It would be nice to have him back.”

Also perhaps in line to feature at the New York Stadium is 17-year-old Andre Dozzell, whose involvement with the senior side has been limited to six starts and two sub appearances this season having made a goalscoring breakthrough this time last April at Sheffield Wednesday.

“It was always going to be the case when he scored on his debut that he was sadly probably going to be billed to be the next shining star. Not because he can’t be, because I’m sure he will be, but maybe it was a bit too soon.

“As I said before, I don’t think we were good enough to enable us to play Dozzer in the team. We were struggling and I don’t think it was doing him any favours.

“If we’d been playing like we’ve been playing in the last two games we could have put him in and it would have been a whole lot different.”

He added: “It’s unfortunate for him but he probably wasn’t ready either. He burst onto the scene and expectations are then raised, hopes are raised and the talk is that that’s what we’re going to see.

“I hoped we would. I’m not knocking his ability, I’m saying it’s how we’ve played that’s probably not allowed me to play him as much as I would have liked.”

With Tristan Nydam (above), also 17, also having impressed this season and with Kundai Benyu, 19, enjoying an impressive loan spell at Aldershot, McCarthy is pleased with the players coming through from the academy, although would like more variety position-wise.

“Tristan’s done well, Flynn Downes has done really well, impressing whenever we see them,” he said.

“I am [pleased], but it’s just that all we seem to be producing is central midfield players - Bish, Kundai, James Blanchfield, all of them are just central midfield players, which is great but you can only pick two or three at the most. It would be nice if we had some flying wingers and a centre forward or something.”

McCarthy’s Wolves side was based around wingers Michael Kightly and Matt Jarvis and he admits it remains an ambition to have players of their ilk in his Town team.

“It is,” he added. “But I think we’ve had a real force to be reckoned with with Freddie Sears and Tom Lawrence.

“They’re not wingers but they’re pacy strikers, and Wardy and Didz. Didz is in his pomp at the minute, he’s been great.

“It would still be my ambition to have that, whether they’re out and out wingers or can play in 4-4-2 or 4-3-3. It’s a great asset to have.

“And I’m delighted that Chris Hughton looks like he’s going to win the Championship [with Brighton] and he’s had two wingers all the time, which is great.”

He says having versatility within a side is important for those days when things aren’t going to plan: “I had that when I was at Wolves, we played 4-4-2 and we were great with Chris Iwelumo up front, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, Kightly and Jarvis and Karl Henry and Jonah [David Jones].

“Some days, if we couldn’t get the ball off teams, we had just adjust it, so you’ve got to have that versatility otherwise you come off and your shape doesn’t work.”

McCarthy will be hoping that January signing Danny Rowe will prove to be a regular winger in his side in future seasons.

The 25-year-old former Macclesfield man was one of two additions from the Vanarama National League in the last transfer window, along with ex-Forest Green frontman Kieffer Moore, and they could also be among the fringe players involved at Rotherham

“Kieffer’s had some game time and he’s done OK,” McCarthy reflected. “Danny was injured when he came here, he had a bit of a groin strain.

“He was looking great, then he hurt his foot but he’s trained today and he’s impressed everybody, I’m really pleased with him.”

Does it take players time to adjust to the Championship having jumped up several divisions? “I think it takes a bit of bedding in when you move club anyway. Some hit the ground running and it works for them, but certainly if you’ve moved up from the National League to the Championship it’s a big step.”

Photo: TWTD

hoppy added 17:49 - Apr 20 "McCarthy will be hoping that January signing Danny Rowe will prove to be a regular winger in his side in future seasons." Certainly sounds from that as though McCarthy is thinking he'll be staying longer term than just the end of this or even next season...
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therein61 added 17:52 - Apr 20 Had your blinkered selection policy so far this season not put us in danger of relegation these guys could have had chance to show their worth in a competitive game earlier instead of an I'm on holiday soon runabout therefore giving you the opportunity to revert to the norm!!! please note dear leader there is no swearing in my comment!!!!!
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Mark added 17:54 - Apr 20 We can see where Bishop is after a full pre-season, as 2017/18 is key to his future as a professional footballer I think. As for Dozzell, I still think we could have included him more to help his development. I would have preferred to see him come off the bench than the likes of Bru and Douglas, players we know are not good enough and never will be at their age. It would be interesting to see Rowe as £100K is a relatively large fee by ITFC standards so he should have something about him. Sadly I think Moore is the new Bajner and MM's comments about him having "done OK" do not bode well.

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norfsufblue added 18:15 - Apr 20 Sadly no mention of Ben Morris who surely is worth 20 mins here and there?
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blue75 added 18:43 - Apr 20 McCarthy knows the reason Bishop struggles with injuries maybe a bit of man management is required supposedly what McCarthy is good at, get him focused on playing football!!
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grubbyoik added 19:26 - Apr 20 We had Charlie Brown coming through but they let him go to Chelsea... we had Jordan Rhodes and we know how that ended..
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ChestnutSe added 20:21 - Apr 20 I thought Charlie Brown was taken by Chelsea. Town did not "let him go" they just could not match the million pound contract and the possibilities that Chelsea offered him. Town could not stop him going if that's what he wanted and we were just entitled to compensation as I understand it.
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rfretwell added 20:56 - Apr 20 Oh dear he seem to hold out much hope for Ben Morris or Monty Patterson. Neither are strapping Murphy type C/f's. At least we have a glut of centre mids to look forward to!
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tractorkent added 23:36 - Apr 20 All I ever hear is wingers,wingers ,wingers.We need a central skillful playmaker
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harlingblue added 02:57 - Apr 21 Rotherham game: Rowe for Lawrence, leave the rest alone, keep a winning team and set up another good atmosphere for our last home game against Sheffield Wednesday. Please don't make wholesale changes, ie our normal formula for Cup disgrace, aim to win our remaining games with a settled team that can bring back a little pride to a poor season.
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IpswichToon added 09:33 - Apr 21 I honestly thought we'd see Monty Patterson and Ben Morris at least on the bench for the Rotherham game - now I don't think that's likely. An absolute shame!
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Surco72 added 09:33 - Apr 21 To be fair MM you have signed a number of wingers in your time here but not managed to get anything out of them and wasted a lot of money on wages Henshall, Toure, Anderson , Tabb, Stewart , Varney,Feeney, Pringle, Oar , AMN , Grant due to your narrow style of play and making all players first action be able to put in hard tackles and defend As I have stated before Moore will never make the grade at this level non league at best

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BlueSwede added 10:14 - Apr 21 Could we actually use Monty Patterson and Ben Morris for the final games? Are they not on loan at their respective clubs for the rest of the season?
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jabberjackson added 11:15 - Apr 21 Some modern day footballers spend too much time worrying about their hairstyle and looking good on Instagram than working on getting into the first team We know who they are If that makes me sound old fashioned - so be it
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Garv added 13:40 - Apr 21 You have been known to pick four central midfielders, Mick. You should be fine.
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Lightningboy added 14:58 - Apr 21 Yeah chuck em all in now that there really is bu99er all to play for...cowards way out. Let's not kid ourselves - there is no way Kenlock would've been given the game time he has if Knudsen hadn't got injured - and I suspect Knudsen will get the nod again when fit in August. Emmanuel is now playing 2nd fiddle to a guy who may not be here next season. Chambers has only got back into the centre because of injuries to Webster,Smith and Taylor. Dozzell,Benyu,Bishop,Nydam,McDonnell,Morris etc etc have supposedly been on the verge of big things for 12 months+ but will only get game time when McCarthy's 1st choice invinsibles are injured or when there's a "meaningless" cup tie..then it seems to be one strike and you're out on loan. Not good & not the way forward and most certainly not the guy I want running our football club.

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Seasider added 15:04 - Apr 21 Mick the Magnificent is coming to the end of his 4th season with Ipswich and has yet to bring in one player to play in the first team regularly. We don't know if Miles Kenlock will be the first because Jonas Knudsen is injured,and despite saying that when we were safe he would give the academy youngsters a go,once again he has reduced this window to just the Rotherham game. Looks like he is ignoring one of Marcus Evans tenets in his five point plan!

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iaintaylorx added 19:07 - Apr 21 Mark, you say about Bru, but everyone seems to forget how much of a player this guy was when he came in. His touch, vision and talent was all there to be seen but Mick has drained it out of him. Would love a new manager to come in and notice the talent in Bru, as it is clear to see he is a massive confidence player!
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