Cole Skuse will return to the Town squad for tonight’s penultimate pre-season friendly away against League Two Colchester United, however the Blues will still be without several other central midfielders (KO 7.30pm).
Skuse missed Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Gillingham due to illness but was back at Playford Road yesterday.
The 31-year-old is likely to start along with a number of the senior players who came off the bench in the second half at the Priestfield Stadium at the weekend.
"That’s the idea, pretty much,” manager Mick McCarthy said after Saturday’s match. "I’ll have a look at it, it might not be exactly that, that they start, but certainly Webbo [Adam Webster] will, Dominic [Iorfa] will at centre-half, not at right-back.
"Didzy will start. Having played 60 minutes on Tuesday night, having only just come back, it wasn’t prudent to start him today. Most of them will be starting on Tuesday night.”
Tom Adeyemi (illness) and Emyr Huws (calf) now seem highly unlikely to be ready for the season opener at home to Birmingham a week on Saturday, while Teddy Bishop has picked up a groin problem, Andre Dozzell suffered a hip knock while winning the European Championships with the England U19s and Luke Hyam is still coming back from the ankle problem which ended his 2016/17.
McCarthy says injuries and illness have been the downside to what has otherwise been a positive pre-season.
"We’ve just had injuries and illness which have made it impossible for Tom Adeyemi to play, he’s been poorly, he’s had flu for 10 days, it’s knocked him right off his feet,” he said.
"Skusey will be all right, he was in [on Monday] morning, but didn't join in training but he’ll be fine, I’ve no worries about him and his fitness.
"Emyr Huws has got a calf strain, Teddy Bishop’s got a groin strain, Luke Hyam’s still not fit, albeit that’s been for a while.
"So that’s prevented some of them from even getting any minutes. Chambo was a while coming back having had a few niggles, he had his tonsils out as well.
"But other than that we are [where we’d expect to be at this point in pre-season]. I think we’ve played well in the games, even at Gillingham we played well and then gave a stupid penalty away. I’m pleased with pre-season.”
In the absence of the more senior midfielders, 18-year-old Flynn Downes has made a case for his inclusion in the opening day team.
"The one player who has stood out like a sore thumb is Flynn Downes and if they’re all still injured or sick I’d have no worries playing him, I think he’s been great,” enthused McCarthy, who says he has no concerns regarding the academy product’s lack of experience.
"He’ll be fine. I don’t think you have to be a wise young lad, you have to be football savvy, want to play, be capable physically enough to be able to play, and he's got all those attributes.
"You can’t put a 30-year-old head on an 18-year-old’s shoulders, that’s not going to be the case, but he knows the game, he can play. I’d have no worries about him at all.”
Asked whether Hyam might go out on loan to get games as he continues his return from injury, McCarthy added: "Luke’s got to get fit. If he’s not fit before the start of the season the only avenue for him to get football would be in the National League, that’s the only place he can go.”
Colchester advise buying tickets in advance via their website’s print at home option to avoid queues, although they will be available on the gate, while they will be running a full shuttle bus service. Full details on that and parking at the Weston Homes Community Stadium here.
Town’s final match of pre-season is against League One Charlton Athletic at the Valley on Saturday afternoon (KO 3pm).
Meanwhile, former Town defender Steven Taylor has signed for Peterborough United on a two-year deal.
The 31-year-old had been on trial at Doncaster Rovers having been told he would not be offered a new contract by the Blues at the start of last week.