Town centre-half Tommy Smith is due back at Portman Road later today after his punishing trip back from international duty with New Zealand.
With the Blues yet to add to their central defensive ranks, Smith appears a certain starter alongside Luke Chambers at Middlesbrough on Saturday, despite all his travelling.
Tweeting overnight as he began the last leg of his journey, the 22-year-old said he had managed some sleep on the previous plane: "Ten more hours until I'm back on English soil. Feeling fresh after 10 hours sleep on the last flight!”
Smith played the full 90 minutes of the All Whites’ victories over New Caledonia, 2-0, and the Solomon Islands, 6-1.
Meanwhile, striker Michael Chopra has revealed that he is wearing special therapeutic socks when he goes to bed at present due to foot pain.