Blues first-choice keeper Bartosz Bialkowski believes Michael Crowe is ready to make his debut between the sticks for Town if required. Crowe, 22, has been on the bench for the last few games with Dean Gerken out of action due to a hip problem.
"He’s been training really well over the last few months,” Bialkowski said of the London-born, Norway-raised former Wales U21 international. "He’s up for it and he’s ready and he’s a good young keeper.”
Crowe, who joined the Blues academy from Norwegian side IK Start in the summer of 2012, has been on the bench for the Town first team on 23 occasions now but his only 12 senior games were for loan clubs Woking and Braintree in the National League.
While manager Mick McCarthy says he will probably look to recruit another keeper in January with Gerken expected to be out for a while, until then Crowe would be called upon to take over from Bialkowski if he is injured or red-carded.
McCarthy may also be weighing up whether to hand him his debut in the FA Cup tie at home to Sheffield United on Saturday 6th January.
It’s feared, although not yet confirmed, that Gerken will require surgery on his injury, which Bialkowski says he has been struggling with for a while.
"He has had a hip problem for the last couple of months, he’s had a couple of injections,” the former Poland U20 international said.
"I’m not sure how long he’s going to be out for but it’s a shame really because he’s a good guy and it’s always good to have that competition for places. I know Deano, he’s always training hard and making me a better keeper as well.”
Looking ahead to today’s game against QPR, Bialkowski is hoping the Blues can continue their recent home form, which he says will be vital to Town maintaining their play-off push during the second half of the season.
"It’s going to be massive and it has been massive for us,” he added. "In the play-off season Portman Road was like a fortress for us and I think we’re there already.
"We’ve got two very winnable games over the Christmas period we’ve just got to make sure we win them both.”
The former Notts County and Southampton man hopes the home form will encourage more fans along to Portman Road with only 13,832 having attended the last match, the 2-0 victory over Reading.
"Obviously it’s so much better [when crowds are larger],” he continued. "Look at Wolves, they had a sell-out, it’s so much better for the players, for everyone involved with the club.
"And I hope the people in Ipswich are going to start coming to the game and being our 12th player.”
Bialkowski’s Town contract is up at the end of the season but with the Blues having an option to extend those terms for a further year. He says there have been no talks on that front so far.
"I’m still under contract and the club need to let me know before the last game of the season,” he said.
"It’s always up to them what they’re going to do, I’m just trying to concentrate on football.”
Asked whether he was aware of any interest in him from elsewhere, he added: "I’m just trying concentrate on my football, I’m just doing my thing.”