Town boss Mick McCarthy has confirmed that keeper Stephen Henderson will not be involved at Cardiff on Saturday, but due to an ankle injury suffered in training rather than due to West Ham recalling him. The Irishman was due to play the final game of his three-month spell with the Blues this weekend.
McCarthy says there are no other new fitness worries with midfielder Andy Drury now back having been out with a virus: "Andy’s trained, he’s fine, but we’ve one injury with Hendo, who twisted his ankle yesterday. His loan period is coming to end anyway on Saturday and he’s not available, he’ll be missing.”
The Town boss confirmed that Scott Loach will keep his place in the side: "Scott did play well [at Aston Villa], I was certainly impressed with him last weekend, it was a good performance by him, so he gets his opportunity again. Whether it’s by default or not, he’ll be in nets again.”
Whether Henderson returns for a second spell has not yet been settled with McCarthy hinting that he might look to bring in a permanent signing due to West Ham’s insistence on a recall clause: "He may do, although he could be out for a couple of weeks with his ankle. But I keep saying it leaves me a little bit exposed bearing in mind he’s got a 24-hour recall.
"But I’ll talk to Sam Allardyce about that. Hendo wants to come back and I want to have him back, but the recall [leaves me exposed], and I understand it from West Ham’s point of view and they understand mine, they can’t take it out of it and I’d like to have one that’s mine to be used and not to be going back anywhere.”