Town boss Kieran McKenna says the Blues have assembled a squad for just the situation they find themselves at present with key men Wes Burns and Nathan Broadhead ruled out of the trip to Plymouth on Saturday with Conor Chaplin having missed training this week but expected to be involved to some extent at Home Park.

Burns and Broadhead both limped off with muscle injuries during Saturday’s 3-1 victory over Birmingham City at Portman Road, while Chaplin joined them after suffering a gash to his leg late on in the game.

Whenever Town have had similar injury issues to regular starters in the past, those coming into the side have usually gone a long way towards filling the absent players’ boots.

“We've shown that lots over different times and that's football,” McKenna said. “That's the nature, especially, as I said, in the run that we went through with the five games in 14 days.

“The physical output that the players are putting in week to week, and sometimes in two weeks, is outstanding, really.

“So you're not going to come through a season without picking up some injuries. We've got other forwards in good form as well.

“We added some depth in January, that is important for the second half of the season for reasons like this.

“Of course, you'd rather have everyone fit and available in that, not just your starting team, but it makes your bench as strong as possible. So when you do lose players, it's hard to keep the depth quite as strong. 

“But certainly, in terms of players being ready to come into the team, fit and knowing their jobs and mentally in a good place to contribute, we feel that we have that across all positions, really.”

McKenna says games coming thick and fast comes with the territory - with the exception of this season’s Christmas schedule - but probably hands an advantage to the relegated former Premier League sides ahead of established Championship clubs and those promoted from League One.

“I think you need to account for that in the season, really, in terms of how you build your squad,” he reflected.

“You can't build it for a successful Championship season around 11 players or a starting team because over the course of 46 games you're going to pick up some injuries. I think it's trying to be as prepared for that as you can.

“And probably, in all honesty, that's one of the big advantages that the teams who come down from the Premier League this season have in terms of the absolute strength of the depth that they have. They probably can ride out those periods better than the other teams.

“But we feel that we're strong in that department as well. We feel like we've tried, even last year in League One, to carry good numbers.

“Partly for the reason that we like to make substitutions during games and early in games and have a big impact from the bench. But also for the periods that you have injuries as well.

“We train intensely, but we feel that's a big preventer of injuries, actually. I think the hard work that we do here is a contributor to the fact that, touch wood, we have had a really good injury record over the last couple of years.

“But when you are going to your limits twice a week and pushing physically as hard as the players are, it does increase the chances of picking up, especially, the muscle injuries that we did last week.

“But in terms of the schedule, it is what it is. You know going into the season. I think the only one that I would reflect on this season, and I think all managers were the same, was I thought the Christmas and New Year period was inappropriately scheduled, especially the QPR game in between the Boxing Day and the New Year's Day games.

“But other than that, you're going to have Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Wednesdays and Saturdays, and you try and build your squad accordingly and prepare for those periods.”

Photo: TWTD

MK1 added 17:55 - Feb 29 We have very good options in those positions, so not as bad as in other departments. Not good, but not so bad either.
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