Town will be without Jonny Williams, Jonny Parr, Dean Gerken, Cole Skuse and Teddy Bishop for Tuesday’s home game against boss Mick McCarthy’s former club Wolves. Right-back Elliott Hewitt has returned to Portman Road at the end of his month at Colchester, while midfielder Kevin Bru is fit having missed the last two matches with a groin problem.
Williams has a calf problem, while the other four miss out due to groin injuries.
"Elliott’s back and Jonny Parr’s still injured,” McCarthy said. "We’ve got no full-back cover, and even more so because Skusey could have covered at right-back and he’s injured.
"So we’ve got Jonny Parr, Skusey, Jonny Williams, Gerks and Teddy Bishop. He’s improving, it was fatigue as much as anything, but he’s got a tight groin and there’s no way I’m going to risk him. We’ve got five of them out.”
He added: "We’ll see now whether we can do exactly the same and play with the same level and intensity with the ones that come in. I don’t see why not.”
Hewitt, who but for Parr’s injury would have stayed at the Weston Homes Community Stadium, is match ready having played regularly during his month with the League One side.
"He’s had five or six games and Colchester haven’t got a game this week, they play in the FA Cup on Saturday,” the Town boss continued.
"I was umming and aching as to whether to do it because I actually like him being there with a 24-hour recall.
"But if there was a bit of sickness I’ve got five defenders, so I can’t really afford to leave him out there any longer.”
Better news is that Kevin Bru is over his groin problem and available, while Jack Collison and Cameron Stewart are in the U21 side playing QPR this afternoon.
"They’re playing today in the U21s," McCarthy confirmed. "They might have half a game, I’ll see how they do. They’re not in my thoughts for tomorrow, obviously, because they’re both playing today.
"I’ll have a look at them. I might give them half a game and consider them as subs. But at the moment, no.”
Collison was subbed at half-time, although probably more due to a knock he suffered early on in the match which appeared to hamper him for the remainder of his time on the field.
McCarthy says the former West Ham man was getting closer to match fitness, while Stewart was still a little way off: "Jack’s stats were good in the last game and Cameron’s just not got back to the level of fitness and power and strength that’s required to play in the team.
"But he’s getting there. He’s doing extra training, he’s putting a shift in. I need them all fully fit and another game will do him no harm at all.”
In Gerken's absence Bartosz Bialkowski will make his home debut in goal with 18-year-old Michael Crowe set to be on the bench.