Blues boss Paul Jewell says more of his fringe players could get their chance between now and the end of the season. Midfielders Ryan Stevenson and Josh Carson were amongst those who came into the team for Monday’s 2-1 home defeat to Leicester and a number of others could get an opportunity with the campaign over from a competitive perspective.
Jewell says those on the periphery who impress him in training may play during the final four games of the season: "As I said before, I don’t want to just give out shirts willy-nilly.
"We take every game seriously, we’ve got a tough game on Saturday at Crystal Palace then another on Tuesday against Birmingham, so it’s relentless really.
"But we might change things around because we did look a little bit tired against Leicester.”
Keeper Richard Wright and midfielder Jimmy Bullard may be amongst the more experienced players who may come into the side at some stage, while striker Nathan Ellington will also hope for some involvement after a first season at Portman Road in which he has made only one league and two cup starts, in addition to 14 sub appearances, and is yet to score.
At the other end of the scale, 16-year-old schoolboy Byron Lawrence warmed up with the senior squad on the pitch prior to Monday’s game against Leicester.
Jewell has previously said that the midfielder, who was on the bench for the Carling Cup match against Northampton earlier in the season, could make his debut before the end of the campaign, probably in the role usually occupied by Lee Martin.
Luke Hyam could also come back into the centre of the midfield, while Jack Ainsley could play some part at right-back.
Fellow full-backs Joe Whight, whose only involvement with the first team this season was a place on the bench for the Northampton match, and Callum Bennett, the only second-year scholar other than Whight to have been offered a professional contract, could also come into contention for some involvement.
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