Boss Mick McCarthy admits that the long Championship season may have taken its toll on his regular backline. Town’s previously solid defence - skipper Luke Chambers, Tommy Smith, Christophe Berra and Tyrone Mings - has kept only one clean sheet since the turn of the year and has made a number of costly errors, most recently during the 4-1 defeat at Middlesbrough on Saturday.
The Blues have taken only 14 points from their last 13 games and have dropped to seventh with nine matches left to play - a point from the play-offs and eight from the top two - having been second as recently as mid-January.
McCarthy, who conceded that Town now have little chance of winning automatic promotion, was particularly disappointed that Boro’s two first-half goals came from corners having been otherwise pleased with his team’s performance before the break.
"It’s extremely frustrating because the lads have been excellent,” McCarthy said afterwards.
"Maybe the fact that Chambo, Christophe, Tommy and Ty have played all the games just about, maybe it’s taken its toll.
"I don’t know. I can’t say I’m looking to pin blame on anybody anyway, but they’ve been excellent, our guys.
"It’s not like us, it is frustrating and it is damaging, of course. It’s damaging our prospects of getting in the play-offs even. But we’ve got to recover from this and we’ve got Bolton on Tuesday.”
There have been calls amongst fans for changes to the defence with some keen on a return to the back four the Town boss utilised during September and October with Jonny Parr at right-back and Chambers moving into his preferred central role alongside Berra.
"If I wanted to change it where are all the defenders coming from?” McCarthy responded when quizzed on his continued selection of his current back four. "I’ve got the defenders that I have.
"Jonathan Parr set the goal up for us. I thought he was great today. I think he has been, playing further forward [in midfield].
"It’s always the same, everybody can pick the team for me when we we’re getting beaten.
"When we had that team playing and we were winning [people were saying], ’It’s a great team, it’s a great back four’.
"And I don’t hold the back four totally responsible for the goals and everything that’s happened.”
Meanwhile, keeper Dean Gerken, knocked unconscious at the Riverside as Town conceded Boro's first goal, travelled back to Suffolk on Saturday evening having been given the OK to do so after being taken to hospital and undergoing scans.
Town’s U21s are in action against Nottingham Forest at Playford Road this afternoon (KO 1pm). With the first-team facing Bolton at home on Tuesday evening, few if any senior players are likely to be involved.