Town have no new injuries ahead of today’s game against Mick McCarthy’s hometown club Barnsley at Portman Road, which is on after a pitch and stadium inspection this morning. The Blues boss seems likely to field an unchanged team against the Tykes.
McCarthy says that, aside from long-term absentee Paul Taylor, out for the season having undergone foot surgery, everyone is available: ”Everybody’s fine, we’ve got no injuries and no illness this weekend, which is good news.”
The squad have trained indoors in the dome in the last few days with Playford Road under a thick blanket of snow.
The Blues boss seems likely to stick with the team which drew 0-0 with Championship leaders Cardiff City last week.
With Stephen Henderson’s loan spell now at an end, the West Ham man having missed his final game due to an ankle injury, Scott Loach will keep his place in goal.
Bradley Orr will be at right-back, Aaron Cresswell at left-back with Tommy Smith and Luke Chambers the centre-halves.
In central midfield, Luke Hyam is likely to partner Guirane N’Daw with skipper Carlos Edwards on the right and Lee Martin on the left. Up front, new boys David McGoldrick and Aaron Mclean will make their home debuts.
Barnsley could have Jacob Mellis back in their starting line-up, the midfielder having missed seven games due to a dead leg before returning as a sub during last week’s 2-0 home victory over Leeds. Fellow midfielder Jim O'Brien is a doubt but will travel, also having suffered a dead leg.
Right-back Scott Wiseman was omitted from the squad facing Leeds after interest from Blackpool and may again be left out with Blackburn — whose new manager Michael Appleton left Bloomfield Road for Ewood Park earlier this week — now linked.
New manager David Flitcroft says his players will have to match the Blues’ endeavour and attitude: "After the [2-0 victory in the] Leeds game I couldn’t wait to look at the footage on Ipswich and scouting reports.
"The team epitomise what Mick’s like as a person — the commitment, courage and honesty of Mick. It’s something we will have to equally match up. The quality we’ve showed in the last three games is something we’ll look to carry on.
"There’s no room for complacency, every day we’re looking to improve and that’s something I’ve stressed to the players.”
Historically, Town have done well against the South Yorkshiremen, winning 21 games between the sides (20 in the league), drawing six (six) and losing 13 (11).
In September at Oakwell, Town withstood a second half barrage from Barnsley to claim a 1-1 draw.
Aaron Cresswell put the Blues in front in the sixth minute from a well-worked freekick but the home side put on the pressure after the break and grabbed a 74th minute equaliser via Stephen Dawson.
In March, Daryl Murphy’s fourth goal of his second loan spell with the Blues was enough to see Town to a 1-0 victory over Barnsley at Portman Road.
The Irishman struck soon after half-time with the on-loan Celtic man and Lee Martin subsequently having good chances to add to the Blues’ lead, while Jay Emmanuel-Thomas struck the bar.
The most famous meeting between the teams came in May 2000 at Wembley when Town won the play-off final 4-2 to reach the Premier League.
Tykes striker Marlon Harewood made five starts and one sub appearance, scoring one goal, while on loan with Town while a Nottingham Forest player between January and March 1999. The 33-year-old joined Barnsley in the summer.
Town boss Mick McCarthy came through the ranks at his hometown club, making his senior debut in 1977 and went on to make 314 appearances, scoring 10 goals, before leaving for Manchester City in 1983, having been part of a side which had climbed from the Fourth to the Second Division.
Current Town striker Michael Chopra made 41 starts and one sub appearance, scoring 17 goals, while spending 2004/05 on loan at Oakwell when with Newcastle.
New signing Frank Nouble spent two spells on loan with Barnsley during 2010/11 and 2011/12, failing to net in nine starts and one sub appearance in total.
Blues fitness coach Andy Liddell was a Barnsley player between 1991 and 1998 having come through the Tykes’ youth system.
Saturday’s referee is Nigel Miller from County Durham, who has shown 71 yellow cards and two red in 24 games so far this season. Miller’s most recent Town match was the 6-0 defeat at Blackpool in August in which he booked Michael Chopra and one home player.
Squad from: Loach, Lee-Barrett, Orr, Hewitt, Cresswell, Mings, Kisnorbo, Chambers, Smith, N’Daw, Drury, Hyam, Edwards, Emmanuel-Thomas, Martin, Murphy, Chopra, Mclean, McGoldrick, Nouble.