Boss Mick McCarthy says skipper Luke Chambers is happier having switched to the centre of the defence in recent games. The 28-year-old started the campaign at right-back, where he spent most of last season.
"Chambo is happier at the heart of the defence but he’s been the consummate professional in terms of his application at right-back,” McCarthy said.
"That was difficult to change because we’ve had such a good defensive record with Chambo, Christophe, Tommy Smith and, as it was last year, Cresswell. That was a difficult one to upset but Chambo prefers it at centre-half.”
He says Smith, omitted to allow Chambers to move into the centre and Jonny Parr to come in at right-back, and midfielder Luke Hyam - who has dropped out following Teddy Bishop's emergence - have reacted well to being left out of the XI in the last two games.
"Top pros, top lads, they’ve been stalwarts of the team for me, but at some stage you’ve got to change it, and I did and it’s worked,” McCarthy continued.
"If it doesn’t work, they’ll both be knocking on my door. As it happens we’ve won, so they can’t but they both contributed on Saturday and they’ll contribute again.”
He says players who have been regulars can get itchy feet if they’re out of the side for long periods but that that situation is currently a long way off.
"The longer it goes on, that’s when it starts to tell,” the Town manager added. "They’ll still be glad for the team, for me, for the players, but for themselves they’ll want to play and there obviously comes a time when there’s a breaking point. But we’re nowhere near that.”