Town boss Mick McCarthy has no doubt that his squad’s strength in depth will be challenged again as the season progresses.
Having lost Luke Hyam to knee surgery in the summer, his central midfield options were subsequently reduced further when Kevin Bru and Teddy Bishop suffered hamstring injuries within a few days of the season starting.
The pair came through Monday’s U21s game at Birmingham and are expected to be in the squad this evening.
"[It has been tested], and it’ll be tested again,” McCarthy said. "The midfield area took a real battering. Jonny Douglas has just been a great signing, coming in and playing all the games since he’s been here.
"Remarkable, I think. He’s 33, comes in, he’s played 40-odd games a season for the last few seasons.
"That was good because we lost Kevin Bru, we lost Bish, we lost Murph for a time, we lost Freddie the other night, but what’s great is that the squad can cope. We’ve got better players [this season], there’s no doubt about that.”
Also sidelined due to a recurrent thigh problem, until returning as a sub at Leeds on Tuesday, was Jonny Parr.
The Norwegian international has been in and out of the side ever since joining the Blues in the summer of 2014 with the good form of Tyrone Mings last season having kept him out of his favoured left-back role.
"And now the form of Jonas Knudsen, who has come in and been outstanding,” McCarthy added. "It’s been tough for him, but he’s been injured, it’s not like he’s been left out or dropped for any reason.
"He’s been injured and just couldn’t get himself fit and now he’s back. He does give me that option with him being able to go on in four positions, right-back, left-back, wide right, wide left. That’s great.”