McAuley Faces Fitness Test - Ipswich Town News

Town will give a late fitness test to skipper Gareth McAuley prior to Saturday's home game against Derby County. The central defender injured a hamstring in training last Friday and missed the game at Doncaster and Northern Ireland's midweek friendly defeat to Hungary.

Physio Matt Byard told the club site that McAuley has not yet been ruled out: "Gareth has been closely monitored all week. He has done some light work but we will see how he is tomorrow before making a decision. At the moment, he is obviously a concern."

Town are already without full-back Moritz Volz, who picked up his fifth booking of the season at Doncaster a week ago.

Derby also have defensive problems with Martin Albrechtsen (calf) and Dean Leacock (groin) both definitely missing out and Claude Davis and Lewin Nyatanga having been away on international duty this week, the former Sheffield United man travelling to his home country Jamaica and back.

Paul Jewell has added former Southampton and Crystal Palace central defender Darren Powell to his squad ahead of the game. Powell, now 32, recently came up against Town's reserves while on trial with Charlton.

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