Town boss Mick McCarthy has confirmed that he could look to use the emergency loan provision available to Football League clubs both to augment his squad and to send some of his youngsters out to gain first-team experience.
"It’s there, it opens next Monday,” he said. "Tactically, I don’t think Premier League clubs always want to loan youngsters out to the end of the season, which they have to do [during the transfer window].
"They see what they’ve got in and then on Monday, they’ll have somebody they can loan out for 28 days and they might go and get some real competitive football at a Championship club for a month.
"And then they can bring them back and they’ll be in better shape to play. So they’ve not got shot of them for the rest of the season.
"Tactically for them - and I’ve been there and I’d do it myself now if that was the case - it suits them better.”
McCarthy says the likes of full-backs Josh Emmanuel and Myles Kenlock can go out for spells if someone wants them.
"They’re available but that’s going to be the emergency loan if anybody wants them,” he said. "Nobody’s banging my door down, which surprises me because I thought they’d be well worthy of a league club.”
Irish U18 international midfielder Adam McDonnell (pictured) can also go out for a stint: "I think he’s ready for it, Adam. I’d love to see him get somewhere.”
Meanwhile, McCarthy has wished striker James Alabi well for the future, the 21-year-old having left the Blues last week before joining Vanarama National League side Chester.
"He’s not ready for Championship football,” the Blues boss said. "We took him to make our U21s better.
"We’ve got a squad of players who play in the U21s where if you’ve got a couple of good ones that might get through you still need a centre forward who can play up there and run in behind and stick the ball.
"It was always a chance with James. He was a great kid, he used to come in and do everything we asked of him.
"He’s not good enough to get in my team but he made the U21s better and we didn’t have a centre forward at the time. He’s gone off and good luck to him, I hope he plays regularly.”