Sylvain Legwinski will make his first home start of the season as the Blues look for their ninth consecutive home win when they take on Colchester United on Tuesday. The Frenchman will keep his place in the side with Tommy Miller out after picking up an ankle injury at QPR.
Boss Jim Magilton says the former Sunderland man could also miss Saturday's game with Wolves after turning his ankle in the first half at Loftus Road: "He is definitely out for the Colchester game and then we will see the results of the scan before we know how he will be for Saturday.”
Legwinski, a scorer in Town's last two away games, will slot into Miller's central midfield role alongside Owen Garvan as the Blues switch back to their home 4-4-2 formation.
Billy Clarke, one of the Blues' best performers against Rangers, is likely to continue on the left with Jon Walters on the right. Gavin Williams remains on the sidelines with the ankle ligament damage he suffered in the pre-season friendly with Panathinaikos, while Liam Trotter is again included in the squad.
At the back, Neil Alexander will be in goal with Dan Harding at left-back and David Wright on the other flank. Fabian Wilnis is expected to keep his place alongside skipper Jason De Vos, although Alex Bruce will be hoping for a recall. Richard Naylor is not in the squad, having played only two games since his summer toe surgery.
Pablo Couñago will return to the starting line-up in a front two with Alan Lee, the Spaniard having made a late appearance from the bench at the weekend. Danny Haynes will be itching to get into the action in the second half.
Colchester United, managed by former Blue Geraint Williams, will give Karl Duguid, the scorer in the his side's 1-0 victory over the Blues at Layer Road last season, a fitness test on an ankle injury. Central defender Adam Virgo is expected to be fine after receiving a blow to the leg during Saturday's 3-2 victory over West Brom.
Teddy Sheringham returned from a hamstring injury to come off the bench against West Brom, while long-term absentee Kevin Watson was also among the substitutes after a lengthy spell on the sidelines with an achilles problem.
Last season, the corresponding fixture ended 3-2 with Town's goals coming from Alan Lee (pen), Sylvain Legwinski and Danny Haynes, while Karl Duguid and Chris Iwelumo (pen) netted for the visitors. David Wright was shown a red card on his Town debut for a controversial goal-line handball incident which led to Colchester's final minute second goal from the penalty spot.
The U's last won at Portman Road in October 1951 when they ran out 2-0 victors in a Third Division (South) fixture. Colchester have sold their entire allocation of 2,200 tickets for Tuesday's game.
Tuesday's referee is Keith Stroud from Hampshire, who joined the Select Group of referees this season. Stroud has shown 38 yellow and two red cards in nine games so far during 2007/08. The 37-year-old official's last Town game was the 3-1 home victory over Cardiff City in May, having previously taken control of the Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds games at Portman Road earlier in the season.
Squad: Alexander, Bruce, Bowditch, Clarke, Couñago, De Vos, Garvan, Harding, Haynes, Lee, Legwinski, Peters, Roberts, Supple, Trotter, Walters, Wilnis, Wright.