Blues boss Mick McCarthy says he expects striker Paul Taylor to be ready for the start of the new season. The 25-year-old, who was handed a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to actual bodily harm earlier in the week, joined the Blues for an initial £1.5 million from Peterborough in August last year but managed only three games before a serious foot injury ruled him out for the season.
McCarthy said: "He’s getting there. Throughout the close season I had updates on him and a couple of weeks ago he had his boots on for the first time.
"I think that was a bit of a thrill for him because you get to the stage where you stagnate a little bit when you’re recuperating.
"Then you get little breakthroughs and that was another one for him, having been wearing training shoes all the time and then kicking a ball. He was out training with the lads [on Monday] morning and the physios will monitor him.
"It’s different once the squad starts and you start training and there’s physical contact. But he’ll be ready for the start of the season, I’m sure.”