Cole Skuse remains a big doubt ahead of Saturday’s trip to leaders Wolves with the ankle injury he suffered in last weekend’s 2-0 victory over Reading and, with eight midfield players missing training this week, manager Mick McCarthy has recalled Adam McDonnell from his loan spell with Aldershot. Dean Gerken is also still out and McCarthy says he will look to bring in another keeper during the January transfer window.
"He’s still having treatment sadly,” the Town boss said regarding Skuse. "He’s got a nasty bruised and swollen ankle, we’re trying to get it down, we’re still hopeful, but he’s doubtful for the weekend.
"And what I wouldn’t want to do is to risk him for one game when we’ve got all these games coming along, so if it means that we have to leave him out because he can’t do it [then that will be the case].
"He’s not going to come limping on to the pitch with a strapping on. We’ve got a lot more games to come, so if he’s not right he won’t be playing.”
Kevin Bru looks set to be the man to replace Skuse in the Blues midfield with McCarthy relieved that the Mauritius international didn’t end up moving on in the summer when he was available on a free transfer and came close to joining Toulouse back in his native France.
"Yes, thank goodness nobody took him, eh?” the Town manager reflected. "I was just looking at my board and there are eight midfield players injured at the moment.
"And Kevin Bru was one of those this morning, he got a bang in the ribs, a nasty bang in the ribs and they were swollen this morning but he’s just told me he’s OK. He’ll be training tomorrow, so he’s available for Saturday.
"And he has been excellent. He’s been great whenever he’s been called upon, which just shows what a good pro he is.”
Could the midfield injury problems mean Bru, whose contract is up next summer, might end up staying at Town beyond the end of the January transfer window? "There’s Tristan Nydam and Flynn Downes, who are both to come back, who were are bright young things, both very good players.
"It’s funny when they get in the team at 17 and 18, we all have great big hopes for them, but it’s tough. It’s not easy to come in and play week in, week out.
"But if they come back and when they’re fit, who knows? Kev might be the shining light again and star.
"But he’s coming out of contract, he’ll be wanting to get his situation sorted. So we’ll see. That’s all up in the air, if he gets a chance to play on Saturday, let’s hope he plays as well as he’s always done.”
Nydam is currently out with a hip injury, while Tom Adeyemi is not yet back from his hamstring problem and Emyr Huws and Andre Dozzell are both expected to miss the rest of the season having undergone knee surgery.
Luke Hyam is back in training after his knee operation but not yet ready to return and Downes is also sidelined at present.
"On Saturday I put Kevin on the bench instead of him,” McCarthy added. "Because he’d had a kick on the calf and he was saying he was fit and I said, ‘I don’t need you going on and getting kicked and then somebody else getting injured’. Anyway, as it transpired, he played in the U23s and he still got a kick on it.”
Irish U18 international McDonnell arrived back at Playford Road this afternoon with his loan spell with Vanarama National League Aldershot cut short with immediate effect. The 20-year-old made 19 appearances for the Shots, scoring four times.
Although most of the sidelined midfielders are likely to be back during the Christmas period, McCarthy says he's not known another season like it for injuries.
"We’ve had almost an epidemic of injuries," he said. "This morning when I looked at the midfield players, eight of them on the board, that’s ridiculous that.
"People put midfield players in to me all the time, agents and people, and I’ve said all season, ‘No, it’s the position we’re strongest in, we’ve got loads of them, in fact I’m trying to get shot of some’. That’s come to bite me on the bum that one, hasn’t it?”
Regarding Gerken’s hip problem, McCarthy said: "It’s grumbling on unfortunately, so he won’t be involved on Saturday. We’ll have to look to recruit, I’m certain of that, pretty much certain.
"Gerks, hopefully, doesn’t need any intervention at all, but when the window shuts you’re doing a balancing act all the time then.
"Michael Crowe’s training well but I still think we’d have to look for another goalkeeper, we’d have to have three anyway.”
Further to the injuries, Town will be without right-back Dominic Iorfa, who is ineligible against the club who have loaned him to the Blues for the season.
"Dominic can’t play because we’re facing his parent club, so we’re down to about 15 outfield players, so things are great, no problems at all.”