Blues boss Mick McCarthy says striker David McGoldrick is making good progress but won’t be rushed back into action having picked up a hip flexor problem earlier in pre-season.
McCarthy says Town are managing the 28-year-old Republic of Ireland international’s return as he has scar tissue in his upper thigh but is confident he'll be OK for the start of the season.
"He is having a week’s training this week and he is doing really good,” McCarthy said. "I have no intention of pushing him back. That thing’s been niggling for a while now, his thigh.
"He will be doing the ‘Premier League runs’ tomorrow, which are pretty tough.
"He needs to get a base which he can work from. If he doesn’t get that, he will keep picking stuff up.”
Meanwhile, the Town manager says he and owner Marcus Evans had their expected hour-long chat about transfer dealings at the Sir Bobby Robson Golf Classic in Portugal at the weekend.
"It was just a nice, good discussion in a relaxed atmosphere,” he added. "There’s never been any tension between us.”