Town boss Mick McCarthy says he currently has no plans to add to his squad during the January transfer window, believing he wouldn’t be able to sign better players than he already has at his disposal.
"It won’t affect me one iota one way or the other,” he said when quizzed on the transfer window opening. "It just means if we want to do something we can.
"FYI and for everybody else, we haven’t got a whole load of names lined up, and why would I? Because if I’m looking at loans or frees or Bosmans or what we’ve looked for traditionally, then where am I going to get better than I’ve got?
"I don’t think I am. And I’ve said to [owner] Marcus [Evans], I’m not looking really. Don’t get me wrong, we’re looking [more generally], but I’ve not got players coming in because I think the squad I’ve got is great, I’m delighted with it.”
He says he has had players coming back after injury adding to his squad, while there are others to still to return, such as Teddy Bishop and David McGoldrick, who are out with hamstring injuries, although he admits he might be a little short of experienced defenders.
"I’d like Teddy Bishop back and fit, Didz is going to be out for a while, but then I’ve got four strikers [with Luke Varney returning].
"Supplementing the team I’ve got on the pitch, I’ve got Tommy Oar and Ainsley Maitland-Niles that can come back as wide players.
"I’ve got Tabby, Giles Coke and Bish, who can come and play in the centre of the pitch. Jonny Parr’s back, I’ve got Piotr Malarczyk.
"Defenders, I’ve only got six of them in reality if I’m not counting Josh Emmanuel, Josh Yorwerth and Myles Kenlock, but they’re just lads.
"I’m talking about lads who have played, and even Piotr Malarczyk hasn’t played here despite the number of his appearances in Poland." But that can be done on an emergency loan basis.
"I’m not bringing them in because I won’t put them in the team, unless Pele or Johan Cruyff or somebody like that’s available on loan to me and I can take them. But they’re both a bit too old now.”