Town’s game against Barnsley at Oakwell remains 0-0 at half-time.
Emyr Huws returned in midfield after his hamstring problem while manager Mick McCarthy, back at his hometown club where he started his career, recalled wing-backs Jordan Spence and Myles Kenlock.
Grant Ward dropped to the bench, as did Tommy Smith - with Jonas Knudsen moving back to the left of the three-man central defence - while Josh Emmanuel missed out on a place in the 18.
Marley Watkins, who the Blues made an offer for last summer and McCarthy hasn’t ruled out moving for again, started on the right of midfield for the Tykes.
Spence won a corner in the opening minute which Tom Lawrence whipped in and Christophe Berra nodded wide at the near post.
Barnsley struck their first shot of the game in the sixth minute, Tom Bradshaw's pass breaking to Adam Armstrong, who hit a shot which was too close to Bartosz Bialkowski and the keeper claimed.
In the ninth minute Tykes skipper Marc Roberts turned Huws’s left-wing cross over the bar with the on-loan Cardiff man having made a bright start following his absence.
A minute later at the other end, Watkins crossed deep from the right but was unable to find a red shirt and Bialkowski and skipper Luke Chambers allowed the ball to run out.
Barnsley should have taken the lead in the 12th minute when Armstrong spurned a golden chance.
Adam Hammill was sent away in space on the Barnsley left and sent over a deep cross which Matty James volleyed into the ground at the far post, the ball bouncing up to the unmarked on-loan Newcastle striker, who nodded over from the edge of the six-yard box.
Three minutes later, a freekick was played short to Andy Yiadom not far outside the area but the full-back shot over.
It was Town’s turn to go close in the 17th minute. First, Chambers flicked Lawrence’s corner from the right well wide. Then David McGoldrick picked up the loose ball on the left and brought it round and back to the edge of the box before hitting a powerful strike which Tykes keeper Adam Davies did well to get down to block but couldn’t hold on to.
Cole Skuse was first to the loose ball but somehow Davies kept out his rebound, the midfielder having gone close to netting his second goal for the Blues for the second Saturday in succession.
As the game reached the 20-minute mark, Armstrong hit a low 25-yard effort which was easy for Bialkowski, then three minutes later Josh Scowen nodded a Hammill freekick over.
On 32 Armstrong hit a powerful strike from 30 yards which flew wide of the untroubled Bialkowski’s left post, then two minutes later Lawrence was spoken to by referee Stephen Martin after a late challenge on Yiadom but avoided a yellow card.
Soon after, Huws was also fortunate to avoid a caution for pulling back the former Barnet man as he counter-attacked having dispossessed Lawrence as he broke.
Scowen shot over for the Tykes in the 37th minute having been teed up by Hammill, then on 41 James hooked over from inside the area following a corner.
Town weren’t too far away from going in front a minute later when McGoldrick tricked his way to the byline on the left of the area and cut the ball back towards Lawrence but Angus MacDonald turned it behind, going close to netting an own goal as he did so.
Just prior to the half going into one minute of injury time Skuse picked up the game’s first yellow card for a foul on Hammill, although the Blues midfielder had appeared to be pulled back by the former Wolves man as he dispossessed him.
Barnsley had edged the first half having had more of the ball and most of the chances - although largely half-chances - even if Bialkowski was still to be seriously challenged.
Both sides had had one really good opportunity, Armstrong’s header over for the Tykes and McGoldrick’s shot and Skuse’s follow-up for the Blues, while MacDonald hadn’t been too far away from breaking the deadlock at the wrong end from McGoldrick’s cut-back.
Town had kept hold of the ball better than they had against Brentford or Wolves in spells with Huws's return making a difference but without ever really dominating.
Barnsley: Davies, Yiadom, Jones, Roberts (c), MacDonald, Scowen, James, Hammill, Watkins, Bradshaw, Armstrong. Subs: Townsend, Jackson, Mowatt, Williams, Hedges, Moncur, Kent.
Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Berra, Knudsen, Spence, Skuse, Huws, Diagouraga, Kenlock, McGoldrick, Lawrence. Subs: Gerken, T Smith, Pitman, Bru, Ward, Sears, Moore. Referee: Stephen Martin (Staffordshire).