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Reo-Coker and Loach Fine for Leicester Trip - Ipswich Town News

Town boss Mick McCarthy has no new injuries ahead of Saturday’s trip to Leicester City. Nigel Reo-Coker is expected to be over a cold which saw him miss training yesterday, while Scott Loach is fit despite suffering a dead leg at Walsham on Tuesday.

McCarthy said: "Nigel Reo-Coker didn’t train yesterday but he’ll be fine, he just had a bit of a cold and we were protecting him.

"Scott Loach is fine, he just walked past my door and he said he’s fine. Happy days, we’ve got a full squad.”

Striker Paul Taylor is the only man absent, the former Peterborough man having undergone surgery on a foot injury and out until the end of the season.

The Blues boss was delighted with the way the fringe players performed in the 5-1 Suffolk Premier Cup victory at Walsham: "I was really pleased with the application of the players. You ask senior players to go and play in games like that and some of them might not bother.

"But they did, they all committed to it. I was pleased with some of them. I was delighted to see Elliott Hewitt get another game.

"I thought Luke Hyam and Andy Drury did well and I was really pleased with Michael Chopra. For somebody who has been around, he played well and committed to the game, as they all did. But they were the ones who stood out to me.”

Lee Martin is back after his one-match ban, while McCarthy confirmed that new loan signing Bradley Orr will start at right-back.

The Town manager says he doesn’t know whether Richie Wellens will return on loan again, his month having ended after Saturday's 2-1 victory over Burnley, but plans to speak with Foxes boss Nigel Pearson after tomorrow’s match: "We’ve lost Richie Wellens, he’s one that we’ll miss.”

Pearson says he's pleased to have the 32-year-old back at the King Power Stadium and he could be involved against the Blues: "Richie has had a spell at Ipswich which has allowed him to play games and, hopefully, that has benefitted him, and hopefully that will benefit us.

"That is the reason for allowing Neil Danns out [on loan to Bristol City] because he hasn't had a great deal of pitch time and so he will have an opportunity to play some games now.

"We will have to see how these first couple of weeks pan out with Richie back here. He has been playing regularly at Ipswich and we have had a relatively settled midfield.

"It is certainly good to have him back and he does have a wealth of experience. We will see how that develops over the next few weeks."

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