Smith and McAuley Back for Wednesday Clash - Ipswich Town News

Town should have defensive duo Tommy Smith and Gareth McAuley available for selection for Saturday’s live Sky game against Sheffield Wednesday (KO 5.20pm). The return of Smith and McAuley gives manager Roy Keane a selection dilemma with Alex Bruce and Damien Delaney impressing at centre-half in recent weeks.

Smith is involved in this afternoon’s reserve game at Luton after recovering from his hand injury, while McAuley is over the thigh problem which kept him out of Northern Ireland’s friendly with Serbia at the weekend.

Keane told the club site: "Hopefully Gareth should be available for Saturday and we will see how Tommy is, but he should be OK.

"The squad is getting stronger with the only two missing being David Norris and Luciano Civelli, who are both doing well."

Norris is set to return before Christmas, while Civelli is likely to be back in the new year. Both midfielders have been out with knee ligament injuries, Norris since the opening day of the season and Civelli since March.

Meanwhile, former Blue Jai Reason is set to make his England C (Conference level national side) debut this evening in a friendly against Poland in Grodzisk Wielkopolski. Reason joined Cambridge United from Town in the summer on a free transfer after a loan spell last season.

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