Town boss Roy Keane says Damien Delaney and Andros Townsend are both doubts ahead of Saturday’s live Sky game with Leicester City at Portman Road (KO 5.20pm) after picking up a virus. Better news is that striker Connor Wickham could be in with a chance of being amongst the Blues subs against the Foxes.
Keane said: "One or two lads have had a virus this week, Damien Delaney and Andros Townsend. We’re hoping they’ll be OK for the weekend but we’ll know more over the next day or so.
"There’s a bug going round of some sort. Andros had to leave training earlier yesterday, Damien’s missing today, but hopefully it is a 24-hour virus.”
The Town manager says the squad were given some time off in the wake of the Preston defeat, the Blues’ sixth successive league loss: "I gave the players Sunday and Monday off, they had their Christmas do. There were no arrests or anything like that, so that must have gone OK.
"We were back out on the training pitch on Wednesday, we’ll train today, we’ll train tomorrow and just keep working hard to try and to turn things around.”
The Blues boss, in good spirits and shaven despite the current run, says keeper Márton Fülöp will be back in training today after his ankle injury, while Connor Wickham, who has been out with a thigh problem, could be on the bench on Saturday depending on how his next few training sessions go.
Midfielder Luke Hyam is also on the mend after his torn hamstring but is a week away from first team involvement. Gareth McAuley is back running after his achilles operation but won’t return to match action until January, while Alan Quinn still remains on the sidelines having been given an injection to try to help him get over the groin problem he suffered in pre-season.