Debutants Teddy Bishop and Kevin Bru were amongst a number of players manager Mick McCarthy praised after Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Derby. Bishop, 18, was making his full debut and 25-year-old Bru was handed his first league start.
"Kevin Bru I thought was different class and Teddy Bishop was outstanding,” the Town boss enthused.
He was also delighted with the contribution made by subs Tyrone Mings and Alex Henshall during the second half: "They are very dangerous down the left.
"I’m pleased with some of the young players that we’ve got and they had to fight really hard to get a point from a very good side.”
Top-scoring centre-half Christophe Berra netted his third goal of the season and his eighth in the last 12 months, having failed to net in four and a half years at Wolves, where McCarthy was his boss for most of that spell.
"Payback time!” the Blues boss laughed. "Good. About time he did. He’s great, Christophe.”
Jokingly asked whether he’s considered playing the 29-year-old up front, McCarthy added: "He can play where he wants, he can have a fiver from the till as well!”
Berra is set to spend the week with the Scotland squad ahead of their game with Germany next Sunday but McCarthy says he picked up a niggle: "I’m hoping he’s OK because he’s got a bit of a sore knee.
"We’ll be contacting the SFA just to see what’s happening with him because we don’t want him injured.”
All three of Berra’s goals have come from Paul Anderson crosses, two of them from freekicks.
"If you’ve got somebody who can put deliveries in you’ve got a chance of scoring off them if you’ve got big fellas like them,” McCarthy said.
"That’s why they have specialist set-piece takers. Ando has improved no end at that. There were a few that irked me, but he put one right on the button, didn’t he?”
Leicester’s Chris Wood was spotted sitting with the Town fans at Derby. Wood, 22, is Tommy Smith’s room-mate when the duo are on international duty with New Zealand and the striker was with his fellow All White’s family at the iPro Stadium.
Meanwhile, Town’s U21s are in action against Sheffield Wednesday at Portman Road this evening (KO 7pm). Jack Collison and Darren Ambrose, who have been training with the Blues in recent weeks, are set to be involved.