Boss Mick McCarthy says he’d like to add on-loan Celtic striker Daryl Murphy to his squad on a permanent basis in the summer if a deal could be done but reiterated that no talks will take place until Town’s Championship status is secure. The Blues manager could hand the Irishman a start against Nottingham Forest tonight with David McGoldrick unavailable against his parent club.
McCarthy said: "I like Daryl, I signed him for Sunderland a long time ago. If something can be done, we’ll talk to him but I’m not talking to anybody yet.
"Stay up and then we’ll discuss it. I’ve told everybody the same thing — I’m not going to get involved with discussions about who is staying or doing something else until we know where we going to be.”
Murphy, who is 30 later this month, has spent time playing on the left of midfield as well as in his preferred central striking role and McCarthy has been pleased with his approach to switching positions.
"He’s been excellent, his attitude towards it,” he said. "I’m trying to find a really good pairing up front and if we have David and Chops we’ve not got as much power and height but we have two technically very gifted players.
"It’s about moving people around. I thought they played well together on Saturday, and of course David got his goal.
"I think they’ve all handled it well, whether it’s been Aaron Mclean that’s been in and played or David McGoldrick because he’s been ever present since coming here
"And look at how Chops has responded. He had his nose out of joint, he’s come back in and I think he’s been the best player. I think he’s been excellent.”
McCarthy has confirmed that Chopra will start alongside one of his other strikers at the City Ground this evening and says his well-publicised off-field issues haven’t affected him: "He’s fine, he’s all right. He’s enjoying playing his football.
"With Chops, there seemed to be a lot when I came here. I got all the gen on him and I don’t know whether it was having an adverse effect on everybody else rather than him, to be honest with you. He just wants to play football.
"Looking at him now he’s playing very well and I have to say he’s very fit. He got through the games last time — Saturday, Tuesday — and I’m pleased with him.”
He added: "I haven’t really seen a change in him. I think some really negative stuff was surrounding him when I came here, prior to me coming here. That was probably influenced by other people’s comments and what had happened, what had gone on before.
"I know he wanted to play, but he was all right before getting into the team, the intensity of his training, the way he trained, his attitude towards it.
"I told him he wasn’t going to go out on loan when I think he quite fancied going somewhere where he was going to play.
"But he knuckled down and got on with it and consequently got in the team, a bit like Jay on Saturday - he got in because he trains properly and when asked to play in the U21s they do it right.”