Boss Mick McCarthy says loanee Jonny Williams’s absence for a month is a big blow both for Town and for the player. The 21-year-old, who is on loan from Crystal Palace until the end of December, suffered the injury during Saturday’s 1-0 victory over Watford.
"It is [a big blow for us] and it is for him because he’s just got back again,” said the Blues boss, who was less than impressed by the challenge by Hornets defender Joel Ekstrand, which caused the injury.
McCarthy believes that the Swede ought to have been sent off: "It was a cold, cynical, ruthless, violent tackle which deserved a red card, which I said afterwards, and I haven’t changed my opinion. It’s still the same.
"And I saw the comments that their coach [Slavisa Jokanovic] made afterwards as well as what he said it to me, about how they had to be tougher, especially against teams like Ipswich.
"I said to him ‘Oh really? As far as I’m aware there was only one team who had a player carried off, and that was Ipswich’.
"And then I saw his comments afterwards on The Football League Show about how they started playing like Ipswich and hitting long balls and working hard.
"Well, for one, I’d ask what’s wrong with working hard and I’ve had a look at the stats and we murdered them actually, looking at the stats.
"Somebody else isn’t happy getting beaten by unfancied, under the radar Ipswich. Somebody else who’s pissed off. Isn’t it great?”
Aside from Williams, Dean Gerken and Cole Skuse were the only other senior players sidelined with injuries, but McCarthy expects them to be over their groin problems in time for Town’s next game: "They’ll all be all right for Bournemouth. I think all those boys will be fine.”