Central defender Adam Webster has been ruled out until the international break due to the ankle injury he suffered in Tuesday’s 2-0 Carabao Cup win at Luton. Better news ahead of Saturday's trip to Barnsley is that Luke Hyam is back in training and Cole Skuse, Jordan Spence, Tommy Smith and Joe Garner are all expected to be fine after knocks, although Grant Ward is yet to train.
Webster, who was making his first start since January, was replaced at half-time by debutant Luke Woolfenden at Kenilworth Road.
"Adam went to see the specialist yesterday, he’s in a boot today,” manager Mick McCarthy said at his pre-match press conference, which was shown live by TWTV.
"He’ll be going to see another one to have a bit of treatment. He’s not good for Saturday, he’ll be after the international break, I think.”
Will he consider bringing somebody in as defensive cover or is he happy with 18-year-old Woolfenden as back-up? "That’s going to have to be the case for now, but I’ve got pretty versatile players. Jonas Knudsen can play left-sided centre-back and Tommy Smith centrally. Chambo can play right side, as can Spence.
"Dominic Iorfa could play there. I could play Wardy at right wing-back without too many problems.
"I don’t want to be shifting people about but there’ll be nobody coming in here for Saturday’s game.”
Regarding Spence, Smith and Garner, who missed Tuesday’s match after complaining of knee, back and shoulder problems respectively, he added: "Jordan Spence trained today, Tommy Smith trained today, as I thought they would.
"Joe Garner was always going to train, Joe just went and had some preventative medicine on his shoulder, a shoulder injection, that should help strengthen it, that’s fine.
"Wardy hasn’t trained, he got a really nasty knock [on the calf]. It was big [Cheikh] Ndoye who kicked him [on Saturday], accidentally, I might add, there was nothing in it, but he’s a big boy and I think if he kicks you you’ll stay kicked for a while.
Skusey’s all right, Skusey came through it, he jarred his knee but he’s all right, he’s pretty durable, thank goodness.
"The good news is that Luke Hyam was out training, he trained this morning with the squad that were out there and trained really well.
"I hope there’s no unnecessary negative feedback from that. I don’t think so, I’ve just seen him and he had a big smile on his face. That’s a first, believe me.”
Teddy Bishop (groin), Tom Adeyemi (recovering from illness) and Emyr Huws (achilles) are unlikely to be back before the second round Carabao Cup tie in the week commencing Monday 21st August.
"I would look at whoever we’re playing in the next cup tie,” McCarthy continued. "I would like to think that Tom and Emyr could be, but they might be after the international break.
"Hyamsy trained really well, so maybe he might get a game in that. Teddy Bishop, no he won’t be involved.”
If Ward fails to make it for Saturday’s game, would he be happy with Tristan Nydam retaining his place in midfield having made his debut on Tuesday? "No problem at all, he was excellent at Luton. I was delighted with him.
"But we’ve got Bersant Celina that could play there in the system that we’re playing. Waggy [Martyn Waghorn] came on and did it very well actually.
"We’ve got options there. Strangely this year we’ve got forward options and midfield and defence are getting decimated.”