Town boss Mick McCarthy says Emyr Huws’s season-ending knee injury came as a shock and he has challenged Teddy Bishop to replace the Wales international in the Blues’ midfield.
Huws, 24, suffered hip and knee injuries in the first half at Middlesbrough last week and was withdrawn at the break. He subsequently underwent surgery on the knee injury yesterday and will be out of action for around six months.
"It came as a shock,” McCarthy admitted. "I’m not quite sure when he did it. He got a really nasty bang on his hip and he came in at half-time and he was putting ice on his hip and I was going to change it.
"I’ve seen the bang on his hip since when watching the game. And then he said his knee was a bit sore and I told him he’d made my mind up, ‘If you’ve got a bang on your hip and on your knee, then you’re coming off’.
"Plus I didn’t want to be changing anybody else and then having to take Emyr off after 70 minutes if he’d run out of gas.
"I just thought he’d be in here with a bruised hip on Monday. But the next news I get is that he’s got a tear in his cartilage and it could be a season-ending injury. That was a real shock, a bigger shock to him, of course, and a bigger disappointment.”
McCarthy says the injury is a blow for all at Portman Road but especially the player himself as he’d only just recovered from the achilles injury he suffered in pre-season.
"He’d had a long-term injury, it could have been a lot more because I was in here talking about them maybe operating on him, but then they decided not to,” he added.
"And that was great news and he got back playing and he looked like he was getting back to his best.
"And then to have it taken away again, I’m disappointed and the rest of the players and staff and I’m sure the fans are because he’s a good players, but I can only imagine how he feels. He will be devastated.”
Town have had more than their fair share of injuries this season but players have come into the side to cover for their absent colleagues and made an impression, something McCarthy hopes will continue in Huws’s absence.
It’s been great that we’ve had players who have stepped up and played and not sulked if they’ve been out and not been involved,” he reflected.
"We’ve had some good youngsters that have come in, certainly with Tristan Nydam and Flynn Downes and they’ve played their part. Loan players, certainly Callum Connolly playing in midfield.
"People ring me about midfield players and ask if I’d be interested in so and so and I say, ‘Not really because it’s the position where I’ve got most of them’.
"Injured, because that’s how it’s turned out. It shouldn’t be like that but, wow, we’ve had a crippling injury list in the middle of the park.”
Will he be looking for a replacement for Huws? "Yes. Teddy Bishop. I’d like Teddy Bishop to be as fit as he can be and why would I be looking anywhere else if I can get him?
"Flynn Downes has been great, Tristan’s doing great, Tom Adeyemi. That’s what we want back, we want our own players back.”
Is Bishop, who has made two sub appearances since returning to action following groin surgery, ready to start matches? "I don’t think so, not 90 minutes as yet, but he’s ready to play and whenever he’s come on in a couple of games he’s looked far better and he’s training well.”