Town boss Mick McCarthy believes striker David McGoldrick is one of the best players in the Championship, "a Premier League player", and is delighted to have the 28-year-old Republic of Ireland international available again after his latest injury setback.
McGoldrick smashed home his second goal of the season in only his second start of the campaign to grab a point in the dying seconds of last week’s 2-2 home draw with Rotherham United, having been out with an ankle injury sustained in the EFL Cup tie with Stevenage.
The former Nottingham Forest and Southampton man, who also spent time on loan with Saturday’s opponents Sheffield Wednesday earlier in his career, has endured a frustrating time with injuries in the last three seasons with knee, thigh and hamstring problems also having sidelined him.
"He’s one of the best players in the Championship, I think he’s a Premier League player, personally, in terms of his ability, his touch, his awareness, his passing range, his finishing,” McCarthy said.
"And it’s sad actually for all of us, but mainly for him, that he’s not been able to showcase those talents here.
"And if he had I think we would have had people knocking on the door trying to take him. That’ll be the case if he remains fit.”
McCarthy says any side would suffer having a player like McGoldrick, for whom Town turned down a bid of £7 million from Leicester City in the summer of 2014, unavailable for such long spells.
"Most people would miss him,” he said. "But there’s nothing you can do, it’s injuries, those are the challenges.
"And actually, if you consider that over the course of the last two seasons, we would have been better with him, but we’ve actually done all right without him as well.
"Maybe the difference would have been that we would have been in the top six and not seventh last year if Didzy had been fit that little bit extra.”
He says the return of McGoldrick and loanee Jonny Williams, who has also had an ankle injury, have enhanced training sessions at Playford Road.
"They add quality to it, there’s no doubt about that,” he continued. "Both of them have got that ability to beat somebody.
"Both have got that ability to find a subtle pass that not everybody can see, that you can’t coach. That’s a nice thing to have in the team.”
McCarthy believes the duo can make a difference and help Town to climb the table: "Well, they’re goalscorers or somebody that can find somebody or create something.
"I was asked [at the Supporters Club AGM] the other day, ‘What was the difference?’. Well, 27 goals [from Daryl Murphy] was the difference when we were finishing in the top six. And we’ve not had anywhere near that since.”