Mick McCarthy isn’t ruling out midfielder Anthony Wordsworth moving out on loan during the transfer window, but says he’ll have to get back to full fitness first after two weeks out of action with tonsillitis.
McCarthy said: "Woody’s not been well since we played against Preston, that’s two weeks, it’s the first day he’s trained with anybody.
"I’ve said to him today, he needs to get back training and have a week where he’s training morning and afternoon to get himself fit because I don’t think he was totally up to the fitness or the speed of the game when he played against Preston.
"He’s had a long time out, so we’ll see about [whether he goes out on loan]. If he’s not going anywhere, then I want him fit to play for me.”
In November, Preston boss Simon Grayson made an enquiry regarding the 25-year-old’s availability on loan and speaking after Tuesday’s FA Cup replay the Lilywhites boss didn’t entirely rule out making another move for the ex-Colchester man.
Meanwhile, reports that former Blue Titus Bramble is imminently set to rejoin the club are premature.
While we understand McCarthy — who is looking for defensive additions during the January transfer window — has considered adding the 32-year-old to his squad, no deal is currently close with Bramble not yet fit having suffered injuries while training with Town earlier in the season.
The Ipswich-born academy product was released by Sunderland at the end of 2012/13 and was on trial with the Blues in the summer, featuring in a couple of friendlies.
After Christophe Berra signed boss Mick McCarthy’s interest in the centre-half cooled but Bramble remained at Playford Road for the next few months training and then undergoing treatment following a cartilage operation and a subsequent ankle injury.
Asked about Bramble earlier this month McCarthy said he’d not seen the former England U21 international at the club for a few weeks.