Manager Mick McCarthy is set to field a much-changed side as the Blues travel to Aston Villa in the third round of the FA Cup. The Town boss yesterday confirmed that with various loanees departed or unavailable, keeper Scott Loach, right-back Elliott Hewitt and striker Michael Chopra will start, while the club have received confirmation that new signings David McGoldrick and Aaron Mclean were registered in time to play.
Over the Christmas period DJ Campbell, Danny Higginbotham and Bilel Mohsni left Portman Road at the end of their spells, while Stephen Henderson and Bradley Orr are ineligible for the FA Cup.
Recent signing Tyrone Mings is unavailable because he played for Yate Town in the very early stages of the competition in August, while midfielder Andy Drury is still suffering with a virus.
Paul Taylor remains the Blues’ only long-term absentee, having undergone foot surgery. The striker is expected to miss the season and was still on crutches at the Brighton game on Tuesday.
McCarthy says he wants to win the tie but confirmed that the team will have an unfamiliar look about it: "I’d like to beat Villa, but there will be a lot of changes, some through necessity and others through me wanting to have a look at some.
"Whatever team I put out I want to win, but I think it’s important that the team that’s played over the last four games has been the best team, it’s been consistent.
"The last thing I need is one of them pulling up in the fifth game in two weeks. Some of them will have to play, but I’m going to give some of them a break.”
The Blues boss says he hopes Town’s travelling army of 2,900 fans will understand and will enjoy the visit to Villa Park: "I hope it is [a great day out for fans] and I hope they don’t see it as me trying to be disrespectful to [the FA Cup] at all, because I’m not. I can’t play them, I physically cannot play them.
"Even young Tyrone [is unavailable], and then Chambo breaks his nose as well. It’s left me a little bit bare to say the least.
"But whatever team does play and has that shirt on, wants to be running around and trying and fighting and biting at Villa to try and win the game. We’ll make sure that that is done, don’t worry, because they’ll know that from me.”
As confirmed, Loach will be in goal with Hewitt at right-back. McCarthy would have given Mings his debut had he been able to but with no other options — other than Kelly Youga who is leaving the club at the end of his short-term deal this month — Aaron Cresswell will continue at left-back.
Tommy Smith is set to keep his place at left centre-half but new signing Patrick Kisnorbo will come in alongside the New Zealand international for his Town debut.
Luke Chambers suffered his broken nose in a clash of heads in training on Thursday and although McCarthy expects him to be OK he won’t want to risk worsening the injury and the former Nottingham Forest man will be on the bench.
In central midfield, Luke Hyam and Nigel Reo-Coker are likely to start with Guirane N’Daw getting a rest.
McCarthy will also want to leave out his skipper Carlos Edwards, which will probably see Jay Emmanuel-Thomas start wide on the right.
The Town manager might similarly be keen to give Lee Martin a rest but with options limited may be forced to continue with the former Manchester United man. One alternative might be to utilise new man McGoldrick in a wide role he has occupied for Forest in the past.
McCarthy would probably have chosen a Chopra-Murphy partnership prior to making today’s two additions but could decide to use one of his new frontmen, probably alongside Chopra. McGoldrick is more likely to start than Mclean, the former having trained with his new team-mates this morning.
Villa, who gained one point and conceded 17 goals in their four Christmas fixtures, face Bradford City in the first leg of a Capital One Cup semi-final on Tuesday and Lambert admits that his club is happier playing cup matches at present: "We are looking forward to the cup games now.
"There's not the same pressure in the cups as there is in the league. We have two massive cup matches and we will try and get through.
"It will be really hard. It always is. The FA Cup is a prestigious competition. It will be a tough game."
Having drawn 2-2 with Swansea on New Year’s Day, the former Norwich and Colchester boss wants to build on that performance: "There are positives. I have a lot of faith in what I'm doing and I won't deviate from it. It's my belief that they will keep doing it.
"I can't fault them for their effort, even in getting beaten heavily in the three games. We have kept their spirits up.
"I work with them every day, I know what they're like and when they're feeling high or down. You try to pick them up. But against Swansea, especially in the second half, I thought they were really good.
"We have to build the football club as well as get results. That's the way it is. We are trying to do that in the best way we can. That's what we continue to do. It's for the future of the football club."
Lambert is hoping that former Blues frontman Darren Bent (hamstring), fellow striker Gabby Agbonlahor (thigh) and midfielder Charles N'Zogbia (knee) will be fit enough to be included in the squad.
Midfielder Ashley Westwood is out due to an ankle ligament injury while centre-halves Ron Vlaar and Richard Dunne are also sidelined. Midfielder Karim El Ahmadi is with the Morocco squad for the Africa Cup of Nations.
The teams have previously been drawn in the competition on four occasions with Town victorious twice and Villa twice.
Back in the 1938/39 season Villa won 2-1 at Portman Road in a replay, Fred Jones netting for the Blues, after a 1-1 draw at Villa Park, Jock Hutcheson having grabbed the Town goal in that game.
In 1974/75 the Blues ran out 3-2 victors in a fifth round tie also on Suffolk soil with Bryan Hamilton (2) and David Johnson on the scoresheet for Town.
The most famous FA Cup meeting between the teams came in the 1980/81 campaign in which the Birmingham side pipped the Blues to the First Division title.
As well as winning both league games between the teams, Town were 1-0 winners in a third round tie at Portman Road, Paul Mariner netting the goal.
More recently, at the fifth round stage in 1995/96, Town lost 3-1 at home. Paul Mason scored for Town, while Mark Draper, Ian Taylor and Dwight Yorke were on target for Villa.
In the league, the teams most recently met during Town's last Premier League campaign, 2001/02. At Villa Park, Finidi George put the Blues in front in the 18th minute, but two goals from Juan Pablo Angel saw the home team to the three points. The Portman Road game ended 0-0.
Overall, Town have won 18 games between the sides (14 in the league), Villa 22 (19) with 13 (11) ending in draws. The game will be Town's sixth FA Cup tie to be away from home in a row.
Striker Darren Bent started his career with the Blues, scoring 55 goals in 116 starts and 25 sub appearances, while Nigel Reo-Coker was with Villa from July 2007 until May 2011, making 106 starts and 17 sub appearances, scoring twice.
Young Villa defender Derrick Williams came on trial with Town’s academy as a schoolboy before opting to join the Midlanders and the Premier League club made an enquiry regarding Blues left-back Aaron Cresswell in the summer.
Saturday’s referee is Select Group official Jonathan Moss from West Yorkshire, who has shown 37 yellow cards and one red in 16 games this season. Moss’s most recent Town match was the 5-2 home defeat to Southampton in August 2011 in which he booked Michael Chopra and Damien Delaney and one Saint.
Squad from: Loach, Lee-Barrett, Hewitt, Cresswell, Ainsley, Kisnorbo, Chambers, Smith, N’Daw, Hyam, Reo-Coker, Edwards, Carson, Emmanuel-Thomas, Martin, Murphy, Chopra, Mclean, McGoldrick, Scotland, Murray.