Former Ireland and Wolves full-back Kevin Foley and Barwell midfielder Brady Hickey are both in action for Town’s U21s in this afternoon’s game against Charlton at Playford Road (KO 1pm).
Foley, 31, left FC Copenhagen in the summer and has subsequently spent time training with Shrewsbury and Reading.
Previously he played for Mick McCarthy at Wolves, having started his career with Luton. Foley, who is primarily a right-back, also had a couple of spells on loan at Blackpool while at Wolves.
Town boss McCarthy is after another full-back with Jonny Parr set to complete his move to Strømsgodset today.
"Foles is playing,” he confirmed. "I’ve no doubt he could play both full-back positions. We have got Myles Kenlock and Josh Emmanuel, but the problem is with young lads that it’s OK coming in and having a game or two games, it’s when they have to play 10 games - can they get through it, have that experience and keep going? That is always the issue.
"We played Josh and he did well at Brentford, Myles has done well when he’s been playing. So, they’re the options, youngsters, then we’ve got a chance to have a look at Foles today.”
McCarthy recalls Foley impressing him for the Hatters against his Wolves team: "He played against us for Luton at Wolves and at the time we had some good wide players, Matt Jarvis and Michael Kightly, and he saw them all off.
"I signed him on the back of that and he was different class for me. He’s a great bloke, he’d fit in fabulously with the lads, if he’s all right, if he’s fully fit, but he looks it.
"He’s trained with us and he looks the part at the moment, so hopefully he’ll get through the game today.
"He was out playing in Denmark [with FC Copenhagen], he hurt his shoulder and he had to have an operation in the summer. That doesn’t bother me too much. If it was his legs it might be bothering me, but it was his shoulder.
"He’s a gentleman, he’s a lovely fella, he’d fit in perfectly with the rest of the lads. I hope he proves that he’s worth it.”
As previously reported, Hickey, a 19-year-old midfielder from Evo-Stik League Northern Premier Division Barwell, is back for a second spell training with the Blues.
McCarthy says he couldn’t see him in match action the first time he was at Playford Road, which was why he was asked back.
"He couldn’t have a game, I wanted to see him play,” he added. "Training’s one thing, playing in games is a completely different thing.
"I always hope that they’re going to be OK. We keep bringing them in and have a look at them. If you have one in your lifetime that you bring in as a manager or a coach and you end up getting £8 million for him then great.
"I’ve done it a few times. Michael Kightly came in for 25 grand at Wolves [from Grays Athletic] and we did well with him. Kevin Bru walks through the door, we got him for nothing, although he had a bit of a pedigree, to be fair.
"We keep looking and some we get wrong, I have to be honest, but the ones that you get right, you tend to revel in them.”
A former England schoolboy international, Hickey joined Barwell in the summer having previously been with another Midlands non-league side, St Andrew’s.
A student at Loughborough University, he has scored 10 goals and claimed six assists in 36 appearances this season and has been described as a "non-league version of Frank Lampard” by his current manager Jimmy Ginnelly.
Hickey’s performances this season have attracted the interest of a host of clubs in addition to the Blues, including Middlesbrough, Leeds, Barnsley, Sheffield Wednesday, Wolves, Burnley, Mansfield and Oxford, and he has also spent time on trial with Leicester City.
U21s: Henly, Emmanuel, Foley, McDonnell, Robinson (c), Kenlock, Hammond, Hickey, Alabi, McLoughlin, Henshall. Subs: Cole, Guldbrandsen, McKendry, Ford.