Boss Mick McCarthy hopes midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker will remain at Portman Road beyond the end of his short-term contract on January 12th. The Blues manager is also keen to keep keeper Stephen Henderson at the club after his loan from West Ham expires on January 13th.
McCarthy confirmed that he wants Reo-Coker to sign a new deal: "I want him to stay but that’s down to him. We’ll speak to his agent. Nigel knows I want him to stay and hopefully he will.”
He says the 28-year-old is happy at Town, although keen to get back in the side: "He’s enjoying it, slightly less now because he’s not in the team.”
Keeper Henderson has said he wants to extend his spell with the Blues or even sign a permanent deal, but McCarthy says the situation is complicated by West Ham boss Sam Allardyce demanding a recall clause in any loan deal: "I’ve spoken to Sam a few times and Hendo’s on a 24-hour recall at any time. I think it’s up on the 13th.
"I would keep him on loan but if I do there’s always going to be a 24-hour recall, which leaves me fairly well exposed in case he gets [recalled]. As yet that’s not yet been resolved.”
McCarthy, who says he’s not yet certain which of his loanees will be available for Saturday’s FA Cup tie at Aston Villa, is hopeful a deal can be struck to keep DJ Campbell at Portman Road: "Of course I am, but who is to know, Harry might stick him in the team and play him and he could be great and if he does, good luck to DJ.
"If he gets back playing in the Premier League, good luck to him and we’ll have to do something else.
"There’s nothing that I can do. It’s just part of the gig, that’s what I’ve inherited. I can hope all I like but it doesn’t make a blind bit of difference, unfortunately.”
He says that he will be looking at other options in case Campbell or one of the other loanees doesn’t stay and ideally would like deals sorted sooner rather than later.
"We’ve got five Championship games through January and I don’t want to be without players,” he said.
"If you take Danny Higginbotham, DJ, I don’t know about Hendo, if you take them out of the squad, I’ve got to try and get people lined up who are our players for the rest of the season.
"I’m conscious of that because I might not get the answer I want anyway, so I’m actively looking and speaking to people about other players.”
McCarthy remained tightlipped regarding continuing links with Wolves right-back Ronald Zubar: "I’m being linked with a lot of the Wolves players, aren’t I? One because they’re good players, I hope, and two, because I managed them. You’ll find out if anything happens with them.”
The Blues manager, who was recently at Coventry’s game at Colchester, also wouldn’t be drawn on whether David McGoldrick, on loan with the Sky Blues from Nottingham Forest, is amongst his potential alternatives if Campbell doesn’t return: "He’s scored a few goals for Coventry on loan and we’ve been looking all over the place. But I wouldn’t tell you my targets, you know that.”
Longer term, he says the Town squad won’t have such a large proportion of loan players in the future: "We might have five loan players but we’ll make sure we’ve got 18 others to supplement that.
"Not a chance, the club can’t, it’s not right, you can’t do it. I keep coming in and am asked questions and I haven’t got a clue about the answers half the time — this might happen, that might happen.
"I’d like to be the master of my own destiny and I’m sure the club would and hopefully we can make sure we stay in this league and we progress. I wouldn’t want that situation going forward next season.”