Boss Mick McCarthy was delighted with Tyrone Mings’s display in his second senior start during the 2-1 defeat at Reading on Saturday, but says the 20-year-old is a doubt for Tuesday’s Capital One Cup match at Stevenage.
McCarthy was unconcerned by the Royals’ equaliser going in off the unlucky Mings — which in any case will probably be officially credited to Reading striker Adam Le Fondre with Football League clubs responsible for deciding who scores their goals — and felt the 20-year-old did very well overall.
"I’m not worried about that,” he said. "I thought he was brilliant, I thought he was excellent and he opened his knee up earlier on in the game and I’m hoping he’s going to be OK.
"He had it strapped up at half-time and continued to play like a man. I’m delighted for him. He’s a good lad, him.”
The former Chippenham Town man (pictured above battling with Reading’s Jobi McAnuff) was hobbling badly after the game and seems unlikely to be involved at Broadhall Way on Tuesday, having come in for Aaron Cresswell with the ex-Tranmere man watching from the Madejski Stadium stands due to a thigh problem. [Edit] He has tweeted that he has undergone an MRI scan this morning.
McCarthy doesn’t expect Cresswell to be ready for the trip to Stevenage: "I think Tuesday will be too soon for him and I don’t really want to risk him. And we’ll have to see how big Tyrone is as well, which hasn’t helped at all.
"So, at best, we’re looking at Saturday I’m sure [for Cresswell], unless we’re looking at some miraculous recovery over the weekend.”
The injuries to Mings and Cresswell could see 18-year-old David October make his first-team debut at left-back at Stevenage, although McCarthy was keeping typically tight-lipped after Saturday’s game: "We’ll have to see.”
If he plays on Tuesday, October is unlikely to be the only debutant with McCarthy probably resting at least some of the other senior players who suffered knocks at the weekend: "We’ve taken a few bumps and bruises there. We’ve got Tuesday-Saturday, so I’ll have to look at it.”
The Town boss will have few qualms about giving youngsters a chance having been impressed with those that joined the senior players during pre-season.
"It’s lovely having them come through. I think the standout one for me was Kyle Hammond, who has played at right-back or wide right,” he said.
"I’ve enjoyed watching them. Kyle Hammond looks like he’s really bought into it and copped onto how he can get in the team and he’ll be on the fringes of the team, he’s done really well.
"Jack Marriott from last year, he got in the team, and he’s not been with us because we’ve got four strikers. I’ve had to explain that to him, but he’s had a game, he came on at Burnley.
"Amir Berkane has really good awareness on the pitch and vision and he can pass it and I’ve been badgering him to do more because he is a good football, and we know Byron Lawrence well.
"They’re doing all right, some of them are faring better than others, it’s not easy when you start training with the first team, they’re bigger, stronger, quicker, some of them adapt better.
"But it’s nice when you do see them coming through and you think ‘You know what? He’s got a chance, him’. That’s lovely.”
McCarthy is firmly behind the club’s decision to upgrade to a Category One academy: "I want to be as good as we can, have the best academy that we can possibly have.
"And it’s going to have to be a necessity, an essential part of people’s armoury, having the kids coming through. I will do everything I can to encourage having the best academy that I can.”
The Town manager says he’s a firm believer in the old adage that if they're good enough, they're old enough.
"I always want to put the best team possible out,” he said. "You pick the best XI, whether they’re old or young.”