Manager Mick McCarthy says there have been no developments regarding the future of captain Carlos Edwards, who is out of contract at the end of the season. The 35-year-old has started 11 games and made seven sub appearances this season, scoring once.
"There’s no development,” McCarthy said. "I’ve spoken to Carlos, I’ve had that discussion with him about where he sees himself in terms of at 35 - does he see himself as a first-teamer every week who is going to be picked week in, week out?
Does he see himself as a squad player or somebody who could help out and have 10, 15 or 20 games? Or 46 games? A lot of that will determine what will happen with him.
"At 35 he’s not going to be getting any better, not that he’s tailing off and getting any worse, I might add, that’s not the case because he’s a very fit lad.
"But at some stage we have to start looking to the future, so if he’s an experienced player that can help us and, as always, if he’s still the best and he stays in the team, then that’s the case.
"A lot will be determined by him by how he feels. Does he want to stay in the Championship? Does he want to drop down and play every week?
"I don’t know yet. And I don’t think he does because I had that conversation with him [last Thursday]. That’s a prelim to any discussion we’ll have further along the line.”
However, McCarthy says now’s not really the time to be looking at players’ contractual situations: "I’ve said to him and I’ve said to everybody else, we’ve got [13] games left to play and to start talking about what might be and what might not be can be counter-productive and what you have to do to earn anything is to get your nose to the grindstone, knuckle down and play well.
"That’s for everybody, whether that’s players on loan or players on contracts that are coming to an end.”
He admits that Edwards and Paul Anderson amongst others may have been unfortunate not to play more often but says those that have established themselves have been the players who have most consistent.
"They’ve been unlucky, it’s a squad game. They all have to fit in and play to get in the team and then do well.
"If you think about the players who have nailed down positions it’s the ones who have been consistent, week in, week out, played well, scored the goals, stayed in the team.
"I’m not saying they haven’t played well because I think Ando when he’s played has done well but I’m always looking to make improvements.
"And you know what? A little bit of insecurity makes you work harder, doesn’t it? I was told that a long time ago and it does. And if somebody comes in, you’ve got to do better and get in. That’s the way it works.”
Keeper Scott Loach was unfortunate to be left out at Leicester last week following a man of the match display in Dean Gerken’s absence against Blackpool.
McCarthy says the former England U21 international reacted as he would have expected.
"He was disappointed, I’d expect him to be disappointed but as I explained to Scott, if he’d been in and playing as well as Gerks had and had made as many match-winning saves as he had, then I would have been doing exactly the same to Dean Gerken, I would have been leaving him out after one game.
"They’re always disappointed, they might never understand it in their own heads, but they understand it from my point of view.”