Town boss Mick McCarthy says fans should be patient with strikers David McGoldrick and Noel Hunt ahead of Saturday’s Championship play-off semi-final second leg against Norwich City at Carrow Road.
McGoldrick, 27, was back on the bench for Saturday’s 1-1 first leg draw with the Canaries having been sidelined with a niggly thigh injury for three months. The frontman's most recent appearance came at Rotherham at the start of February.
Hunt, 32, suffered what was thought to be a season-ending knee injury at Fulham, also in February, but made a quicker than expected recovery and was amongst the subs at Blackburn on the final day of the regular season as well as on Saturday.
"As with Noel Hunt, it would be a cameo appearance if [McGoldrick] got on the pitch," McCarthy told BBC Radio Suffolk. "Noel could manage half an hour I reckon and Didzy about 20 minutes."
The Blues are a striker down following Saturday's first leg with loanee Luke Varney rupturing his achilles and out for at least six months.
Meanwhile, Hunt’s older brother Stephen was so focused on the Blues’ play-off bid he was unable to appear at Bury St Edmunds Magistrates’ Court yesterday to answer a speeding charge. The 33-year-old was facing a charge of travelling at 89 mph on the A14 close to Newmarket in September last year.
A letter to the court from Hunt’s solicitor said the Irishman wanted to accept a fixed penalty notice, however, he had been unable to do so as it was sent to an old address in Kesgrave rather than his current home in Sutton Coldfield.
The letter added: "We would ask the court to accept the apologies of both the solicitor and our client for not being present.
"He is a professional footballer and is currently fully focused on the football Championship play-off his team are currently in.”
With the court unable to issue a fixed penalty notice, the letter was treated as a not guilty plea and the hearing adjourned.