Blues boss Mick McCarthy says Polish defender Piotr Malarczyk is up to speed and ready to play Championship football.
The 24-year-old joined Town from his hometown club Korona Kielce, where he was skipper, in August for a bargain fee of around £8,500 and has so far made one start, the Capital One Cup defeat at Manchester United, and two substitute appearances.
In September, McCarthy felt the Pole would need time to adjust to the Championship which he said is very different defensively from the Polish Ekstraklasa league.
Now, the Town manager says Malarczyk is ready to be involved as and when required.
"Yes, he is, and he needed to [adjust] because of the difference in pace and tempo from what he was used to,” McCarthy said.
"It was sad at Forest that he blocked the ball on the line and it still ended up somebody’s feet because it was a great bit of a defending. He’s doing well.”
McCarthy is confident that Malarczyk, who the Polish press reported was close to being given a first international call-up in September, has what it takes to break through and become a regular at Town.
"Yes, he can. I’m glad for the current back four that we’ve stemmed the tide a little bit because we conceded a lot of goals, as many as most, to be honest.
"But they’ve been solid those boys in the main, so it was always going to be difficult for him to get in, and even more so as he wasn’t really up to speed with the game here.
"But he is now and he’ll be OK, and if he gets his chance he’ll be fine.”
Photo: ITFC