Former Blues striker Darren Bent says he’s looking forward to returning to Portman Road for the first time with his new loan club Derby County on Saturday (Sky Sports 1, KO 12.15pm). Bent, 30, joined the Rams on loan from Aston Villa for the rest of the season last week and could make his debut against the Blues.
"I’ve never been back since the day I left, which is quite strange,” Bent, who came through the Town academy alongside recently returned midfielder Darren Ambrose, told the Derby Telegraph.
"I have played them once, in the cup, and managed to score but that was at Villa Park.
"It will be nice to go back there and see some old faces but I’m a Derby player now and I’ve got a job to do for them. The main thing is that we leave there with the three points.”
Derby, who have won their last three matches in all competitions, are third in the Championship two points behind the second-placed Blues, who have lost just once in 21 and are unbeaten in their last 12. Earlier in the season the sides drew 1-1 at the iPro Stadium.
"It’s a massive game — a top-of-the-table clash,” Bent added. "They’re flying and we’re flying, so it should be a fantastic match.
"It’s always a hard place to go — I know that from being there. Teams don’t like going there. But the way Derby play, there’s no reason we can’t go there and get a result.”
Meanwhile, Town have 200 tickets remaining from the 2,000 allocated to them for the Millwall game a week on Saturday. A further 900 seats have been made available to Blues supporters by the Lions and will arrive in midweek.
Ex-Town left-back Dan Harding has joined the South Londoners on loan from Nottingham Forest for the rest of the season.
Elsewhere, former Town boss Paul Jewell is set to be named Tony Pulis’s assistant manager at West Brom.
Jewell has been out of a job since leaving Portman Road by mutual consent in October 2012.