Boss Mick McCarthy says any additions he makes during the January transfer window are likely to be loan signings, however, he is happy with the squad he’s got, is under no pressure to sell anyone and it seems likely to be a quiet month at Portman Road.
"I’m happy with what I’ve got,” McCarthy said when asked whether it was nice to be going into January not desperate to augment his squad.
"The strikers I’ve got, I’m really pleased with them, wide players, Wardy, Bersant. I’d love to have the midfield players I’ve mentioned back fit and if I’ve got everybody back I think I’ve got a really good squad of players.
"And I think if everybody’s fit, it’s unlikely we would be adding to it. Again, it would be loans or not much else.”
He added: "I pretty know what we’ll be doing, if we can get loan players. We’ve got three of them already, of course, so we’ve got to be careful, we don’t want too many of them. Or if there’s somebody available. Unless we sold anybody, I doubt very much we’d be going out and buying anybody.”
While he has said he's not looking for cover in midfield despite eight players currently having injuries with most of their problems short term, he has said he will be after another keeper with Dean Gerken currently sidelined with a hip injury.
"Tom Adeyemi’s got to get fit at some stage, fingers crossed," he reflected. "Skusey will be all right, Flynn Downes will be all right, Tristan Nydam will be all right. Kevin Bru is still our player and Adam McDonnell’s coming back. We’ll see how he’s done.
"It’s not like I’m not going to have any. Well, I hope not. It was lovely to see Luke Hyam out on the grass today, actually.”
Town already have the signing of striker Aaron Drinan from Waterford lined-up ready to be completed once the window opens, while McCarthy plans to bring striker Kieffer Moore back from his loan spell at Rotherham.
Quizzed on whether he will be under any pressure to sell anyone, he added: "I don’t know if there’s anybody looking to buy anybody but if we sell anybody we’re going to [have a] pretty bare backside, aren’t we?
"I’m not particularly looking to sell anybody, that’s for sure. But I can’t stop it if bids come in and people want to do it.
"No, we want to keep progressing, we’re in a good position at the minute and we’d like to push on and do even better. Hopefully, that can be the case.”
On-loan Everton man Callum Connolly, 20, has impressed in midfield in recent weeks, scoring three goals in the last four games, but McCarthy says it’s too early to start talking to his parent club about anything longer term.
"There’s no point, I don’t go asking stupid questions because when people ask me stupid questions I give them a stupid answer,” he said.
"We’ll let it run its course, we’ll see to the end of the season, we’ll see how he does and if we think he’s going to be a player for us, we’ll bring him back. If not, well tell us how much he’s going cost and we’ll [let you know].
"I don’t really get involved in that. And the reality is, he’s here, he’s playing and sometimes that can just muddy the water anyway, just let him play here, let him do what he’s doing, he’s been brilliant in midfield.
"Yes, I know I signed him as a right-back-cum-centre-back. Maybe I get criticised for that, maybe I should get a bit of praise for playing him in midfield and telling him he was a goalscorer because he’s been different class. And he has been. Wow, I think he’s been sensational, to be honest with you.”