Blues midfielder Cole Skuse says he’s gutted to miss Town’s trip to his old club Bristol City after suffering a toe injury during last Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at QPR. Skuse is expected to be sidelined for four to six weeks.
The 29-year-old moved to the Blues from his hometown club, who he had joined as a schoolboy, following their relegation to League One in the summer of 2013 after making 245 starts and 62 sub appearances, and scoring nine times.
"I was obviously looking forward to going back to my old club,” Skuse told the club site. "It’s a massive game anyway, but from a personal point of view it would have had something extra because it would have been my first time back there.
"It was a real random injury. I stood on the back of someone’s foot and overstretched the toe.
"I must admit the first couple of days this week I was really down but it’s football and you get your highs and lows.
"I’ve had people texting me from inside and outside the club saying they were looking forward to me going back there.
"My family were looking forward to it as well. I’m still going down there to watch but it’s never the same if you are not playing.”
Skuse, Brett Pitman and Dean Gerken - who also misses out on a return to Ashton Gate with his shoulder injury - all played alongside new Robins manager Lee Johnson during his time as a player with the West Country side.
A disappointed Cole Skuse talks us through his injury, which will deny him the chance to return to Ashton Gate #itfchttps://t.co/K7Yc3u8FOo– Ipswich Town FC (@Official_ITFC) February 11, 2016
"Johnno has served his apprentice at Oldham and Barnsley and it’s a great job for him,” Skuse added. "I sent him a text wishing him the best of luck - after Saturday!”
Speaking before Skuse’s absence from Saturday’s game had been confirmed, Johnson said he hoped his former team-mate would receive a warm welcome home from his old club’s supporters.
"Cole Skuse is a great lad. Our wives are close. If you have a daughter you'd want her to marry Cole. But he's already married.
"Cole is a Bristol lad through and through and I'm sure he'll be given the reception by the fans that he deserves."