Boss Roy Keane says the core of a squad for next season has emerged in recent weeks as he looks ahead to the 2010/11 campaign. The Town manager says he is aware of the areas he needs to strengthen and who might be on their way out of Portman Road.

Keane said: "I have certainly learned a lot about the group here over the last two or three months.

"We have shown we are still capable of shooting ourselves in the foot now and again, like we did at Watford, Peterborough and against Plymouth, but we have also shown we can dig in and get results like we did last week against Reading and Derby.

"We have made progress over the last few months, definitely, and I can see the core of the squad now.

"I'm 99 per cent sure of the players that I think can have a good season next year and a few that unfortunately will probably have to leave.

“I think there are one or two players where we might have to look at it. Like every club we’ll have a good look at ourselves in the summer and see which players we feel we’ll have on board and which players might have to look elsewhere, but that goes on at every club.”

Keane, who is yet to talk to chief executive Simon Clegg regarding a summer budget, has previously said he hopes to have a smaller squad for 2010/11.

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