Town manager Joe Royle says he is considering making changes for one of Town's remaining Christmas period games. The Blues face West Ham at home on Boxing Day (KO 1pm) and Plymouth away on Monday.

Royle says: "There are one or two things on my mind with two games in three days. There will be changes, but whether they are for this game or Plymouth on Monday remains to be seen."

Royle's main choice is in his midfield where he will decide whether veteran skipper Jim Magilton can play two games so close together.

Magilton may well play against West Ham before being rested against Plymouth, meaning Kevin Horlock misses out against his old club.

Horlock was a trainee at West Ham alongside former Town skipper Matt Holland and eventually returned to east London via Swindon and Manchester City, prior to joining the Blues in the summer. Another youngster at Upton Park at that time was Darren Currie, who will face his old side for the first time on Saturday.

The only change to Town's squad is the return of Lewis Price after the Blues cut short his loan spell at Cambridge. Third choice Shane Supple requires a rest after injuring a heel.

Defender Drissa Diallo remains the only senior player on the sidelines but is expected to be over his hamstring injury in the next fortnight.

Royle has confirmed that the squad will be flying to Plymouth on Sunday and says the distances the Blues have to travel are a strain: "We should be in the Dutch League, it would save us a lot on time and money in travelling.

"It will be a physically hard for us after a game on Saturday, to play on Monday, so we will be flying down to Plymouth."

West Ham boss Alan Pardew has injury and illness problems ahead of his side's visit to Portman Road.

Perhaps the biggest loss is likely to be former England striker Teddy Sheringham, whose son Charlie is a member of the Town Academy.

Sheringham senior picked up an ankle injury in the Hammers' 2-2 draw with Rotherham on Tuesday and is expected to be out for a couple of weeks.

Central defender Christian Dailly is a long-term absentee with a knee injury, while Steve Lomas injured a calf in the game at Millmoor and will miss out.

Former Bournemouth midfielder Carl Fletcher, once a reported target of Town, is also likely to be unavailable due to a groin injury.

In addition to the injuries, Anton Ferdinand and Nigel Reo-Coker have both been suffering with flu over the last few days.

Saturday's referee is Paul Taylor from Cheshunt who has shown 55 yellow and four red cards in 19 games this season. His last Portman Road appointment was in September, when he took control of the Blues' 2-0 Carling Cup win over Brentford.

Town squad: Davis, Price, Wilnis, Richards, Karbassiyoon, De Vos, Naylor, Magilton, Miller, Westlake, Currie, Horlock, Bent, Kuqi, Bowditch, Couñago.

Photo: Action Images

Ipswich Town Polls