Town boss Mick McCarthy admits choosing which of his two goalkeepers will start at Brentford on the opening day of the Championship season will be a difficult decision. The Blues face the Bees at Griffin Park on Saturday 8th August.
Bartosz Bialkowski, 28, ended 2014/15 as the man in possession of the shirt, making a total of 35 starts and one sub appearance, having signed on a free transfer from Notts County last summer.
Dean Gerken, 30, a Bosman recruit after his release by Bristol City the previous close season, began the season as Town’s first-choice but lost his place to the Pole when he suffered an injury in the warm-up at Blackpool in November.
Bialkowski kept his place for much of the rest of the campaign until Gerken returned to the side in March. However, the Essex-born keeper was sidelined again in only his second game back when he suffered a head injury early in the match at Middlesbrough. In total the former Colchester man made 17 appearances.
So far in pre-season the pair have started two games each and McCarthy admits he has a big decision to make before the trip to West London.
"It’s a shirt for me to pick for one of them,” he said. "I’ve got two really good goalkeepers, two excellent goalkeepers, so that’s a difficult choice but it’s one where I’m glad it’s me that’s got to do it.
"I see them every day in training. The decision is based on everything I know about them - what I see in games, what I see in training and I speak to Mally [goalkeeper-coach Malcolm Webster] as well, he's a really good source of information on goalkeepers.”
He added: "They’re both very good keepers, whoever is left out it’s a tough one for them.
"I think I’ve got two number ones, which is fantastic, and I just have to pick one to play, which is better than having a number one and a back-up keeper that when you put him in you think ‘I’ll give him a couple of games’.
"I know either of these can play 30 games, comfortably. So, I’m in a fortunate position, but I’m in an unfortunate position that I’ll have to make a decision and upset one of them.”
Town are next in action against Colchester United at the Weston Homes Community Stadium on Tuesday night (KO 7.45pm).
The Blues have sold out their additional allocation of tickets, taking the total to 1,800, however, Town fans will be able to purchase print-at-home tickets in the North Stand and then the East Stand online from the U's here.
Any remaining East Stand tickets will be on sale on the night, although queues are likely. Tickets for the car park next to the ground have now sold out. Further information on parking and travel in general can be found here.