Boss Mick McCarthy hopes the Blues won’t miss 18-goal Championship top scorer Daryl Murphy too much when they take on Wigan at Portman Road this afternoon with David McGoldrick returning from his knee injury and recent signings Freddie Sears and Noel Hunt having made impressive starts to their Town careers.
"We’ve got options, having Didz coming back, hopefully that means we won’t miss Murph so much,” McCarthy said having revealed that the Irish international has picked up a calf strain.
"But it’s always going to happen, you’re going to get injuries in a season. But we have got good firepower up front.
"Hunty scored two at Millwall and Freddie got off the mark at Brighton. I’ve been really impressed with Freddie.”
He added: "I always live in hope me, rather than thinking anything else is going to be the case, have a positive feeling.
"Murph got a good goal at Brighton but so did Freddie Sears and Noel Hunt got two the game before.
"We’ve got goalscorers and we’ve got the one that was the best goalscorer [last season] coming back having had a break and he looks sharp in training, so good news.”
McCarthy believes Sears, who signed from Colchester just over a fortnight ago, has done very well so far: "I’ve been very impressed with Freddie.
"He was always going to hit the ground running because he’s been playing and has been scoring goals. He’s been on his game at Colchester.
"But I think there’s more to come from him, I think he’s a really good player. Technically he’s good, he can have the ball, he makes good runs, he’s quick, he’s got a finish on him there’s no question. When he hits the ball he seems to hit it cleanly and powerfully.
"He’s impressed everybody since walking through the door, I think. It’s for him to grab it by the scruff of the neck and be a really good player for us.”
Similarly, the Blues boss has been pleased with Noel Hunt, who joined the club on a deal to the end of the season after leaving Leeds, having been on loan at the end of last year.
"Noel’s been outstanding,” he added. "He wasn’t as sharp against Brighton [as he was at Millwall] but I think that’s understandable as he hadn’t played much football.
"I thought he was brilliant at Millwall, full of energy. To then play four days later, I think it’s a big ask to be on the same level physically. But he’s been great, I’ve been delighted with him.”
It’s been 10 days since the 3-2 defeat at Brighton following which McCarthy admitted his players had looked tired. He hopes they will have been helped by the weekend off.
"I’ll tell you if it’s been beneficial after Saturday,” he said. "Strangely enough, I think that if you take your guard down [you can pick up niggles].
"Murph’s played nearly every minute of every game and he has a couple of days off, comes in on Monday and he ends up with a calf strain.
"You let your guard down and you get flu or you get an injury. It’s crazy how that happens. But there has been a zip in training.
"Whether it’s now or it’s in a week or two weeks’ time they’ll feel the benefit of just having a break. Just a weekend off was certainly beneficial to me and all the lads.”
The always tight Championship looks even closer than usual this year and McCarthy has ideas on how many points might be required to win it or finish in the top six.
"It’s probably going to take 75 points to be in the play-offs and, what is it, 90 points to win it?” he contemplated.
"It doesn’t matter what we get now. It’s what you end up with on May 2nd. Of course, the earlier you get the points it makes it a damn sight easier for everybody’s blood pressure and heart-rate monitors.
"But it’s over a course now of 19 games in which you’ve got to pick up enough points. Hopefully to be in the top two. And if not to be in the top six and be part of a promotion-chasing team.”
Despite second-bottom Wigan having won once in their last 14 games in all competitions and just twice in the last 23, McCarthy says the Latics will be no easy touch and says his players may have to bide their time during the game.
"I think you have to be patient every week,” he continued. "More often than not we’ve come into the dressing room at half-time and, wherever we are, have said ‘This isn’t a pretty game this, it isn’t a good game, it’s not one that’s going to bring all the fans back every week’ because it’s not been like that.
"But you’ve got to stay in the game and they’ll be saying exactly the same. You don’t want to be out of the game.
"We were at Millwall and had Murph’s chance for the third gone in the game’s finished. But they stayed in the game, they got one back just before half-time and, of course, who knows then?
"You have to be patient, it’s 96 or 97 minutes sometimes. My view on life is that if you don’t win it, don’t get beaten. Take a point.
"I know people will say that that’s a bit negative but it’s not. That’s a point towards that 75 or 90 or whatever it takes to win it, to finish second or in the play-offs. That’s that pragmatic approach which has served me well for so long.”
Town could find themselves anywhere from second to fifth after the weekend fixtures - leaders Bournemouth having beaten 10-man Watford 2-0 at home last night - but he says he’s not too concerned about positions at this stage, as long as his side beat Wigan: "I’ll take three points and wherever we end up I’ll take it.”