Town manager Mick McCarthy won’t rush David McGoldrick’s return to action after the knee problems which ended the striker's 2013/14. The 26-year-old, the Blues' 16-goal top scorer last season, suffered a partial tear to a medial ligament in February, then underwent cartilage surgery in April.
McGoldrick is back in training but McCarthy has yet to pencil in a friendly in which he will make his return: "Only when he’s ready. Only when he and the physio tell me he’s ready.
"I’d sooner him miss the first month of the season - I’m not saying he will, I’m hopeful he’ll be there for the start - but I’d sooner he missed the start and then played the next nine as opposed to rushing him back and him being out with niggly injuries for three or four months. I don’t want that.”
Meanwhile, the Town boss is giving his squad some time off after a busy first few weeks of pre-season: "They’re all having the weekend off.
"Me and TC are going to Portugal, we’re playing at the Sir Bobby Robson Classic golf tournament. We’re all back in on Monday.
"I’ll probably end up with 20 players again and what they all did last year was play 40-odd games. They’ve worked hard for the last two weeks, they need a break, so we’re all having the weekend off.”