Blues boss Mick McCarthy says he plans to take his squad to the Republic of Ireland as part of their pre-season preparations for the 2013/14 campaign. The Town manager is looking to organise a trip to County Kildare in addition to a number of friendlies closer to home.
Former Ireland boss McCarthy told the club site: "I didn’t enjoy pre-season as a player and I don’t as a manager but it’s necessary.
"In the past I’ve taken teams to Carton House in Kildare, Ireland and that has worked out really well. It’s a great venue with fantastic facilities, so that’s something we are looking at.
"It’s not so much a tour because we’d play just the one game at the end of the week, but it’s a chance for the players to work in a great environment and bond over the week, with any new players having the chance to settle in with the group.
"We’re also looking at playing the likes of Colchester and Southend, local clubs because we don’t want to be travelling three hours for a game. We need to have the time to prepare properly for a match and recover properly.”
Town are also in talks with St Mirren about a match in Scotland with another game north of the border also likely, while the Blues owe Evo-Stik League side Chippenham Town a match as part of the deal which brought Tyrone Mings, who is set to make his debut at Burnley tomorrow, to Suffolk.
There is no home friendly set for this summer with work being carried out on the Portman Road pitch.