Cole Skuse thinks manager Mick McCarthy will have some difficult decisions to make in the coming weeks, now that squad strength has been improved by players returning from injury.
On-loan Bournemouth winger Ryan Fraser was back on the bench for Saturday’s 1-0 win at MK Dons, while midfield colleagues Kevin Bru and Teddy Bishop are also close to returning to action, with the latter poised for what will be his first start of the current campaign.
Skuse said: "It will be a real headache for the gaffer. But I’m sure — even though he might not like me saying this — he is old enough and wise enough to know how to juggle things and how to go about the business of picking the side he wants. He’s got more than enough experience to deal with that.
"It’s great that Kevin and Teddy have stepped up their training because in my eyes they are both top, top players. It is brilliant for everyone that they are both back. Ryan has obviously returned as well and he’s not just good to have available on the field.
"He’s a dressing room clown as well so he has brought a smile to a few people’s faces in the mornings when he comes in — and not just for the clothes he wears!
"It’s great to have them all back and Luke Varney has been training with us as well. I’m not sure how close he is to maybe tying something up with the club but he looks really sharp, so it’s all going in the right direction.”
Meanwhile, Skuse has commented on his partnership with experienced colleague Jonathan Douglas, adding: "I’ve really enjoyed playing alongside Dougie. A lot has been made of the partnership and a lot has been blown out of proportion in terms of the partnership.
"I think me and Dougie have formed a very good partnership, which might not be the case in a lot of people’s eyes. We sort of bounce off each other well and he’s managed to get himself forward and score a couple of very good goals. He’s also a great person to have around the place; he’s a great pro.
"I think we’ve got a great balance this year. We’ve conceded a few more goals than we would have liked and last season I took a great deal of pride in the way we shut out teams, but in terms of a forward threat we look a really good one.
"We’ve got some very good forward players and it’s down to us to do our bit and help out the back four and the goalie in terms of keeping things nice and tight. We’d like to improve on it but I think we’ve done okay.
"It’s a fine line in football. You don’t want to go too top-heavy and score lots of goals but also leave yourself very open at the back.
"We had a great clean sheet at Milton Keynes because we really had to dig in for the last 10 to 15 minutes, which was highlighted by Jonas taking one right in the mush. It was a great clean sheet and a great away performance, and I think we have struck a good balance.”