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McCarthy: One or Two With Bumps and Bruises Ahead of Cardiff - Ipswich Town News

Town boss Mick McCarthy has hinted he's likely to make changes to his team for Wednesday’s home game against Cardiff City, the second of the Blues’ three games in seven days.

"There’s one or two just carrying little knocks and bumps and bruises and there’s a few of them knackered after Sunday, I have to be honest, they really put a shift in,” McCarthy said.

"And then we travel to Preston, which is going to be no easy game. I’ll use the 19 players I’ve got available to me as best I can.”

However, the Blues boss says he has no new significant injuries following Sunday’s 1-1 derby draw at Norwich: "We’re OK, we’re looking forward to it.”

McCarthy says striker Freddie Sears understood the decision to leave him out of the matchday 18 for the first time in some while.

"Yes, he did, of course,” the Town manager added. "It’s tough leaving somebody like Freddie out who’s so selfless. But from the strikers, I’ve got to have some goals and creating chances for other people, set them up for others.

"He understood it, I’ve not really spoken to him about it actually, he just took it as I’d expect him to.”

McCarthy is pleased to have greater strength in depth now, which means his senior players aren’t automatically included in his matchday squad.

"Yes, it does,” he reflected. "At one stage I was looking behind me and I’d got 16 and 17-year-olds on the bench. It’s nice to have that experience. I never like to leave those kind of players out, but somebody had to miss out.”

The Blues boss was happy with the way the back three of Cameron Carter-Vickers, skipper Luke Chambers and Adam Webster fared against the Canaries having switched from the now familiar 4-2-3-1 system.

"I was delighted with it,” he said. "It was for a reason because of the way Norwich play and it certainly nullified their threats for the most part of the game anyway.

"And I thought it was a good performance by us, so I would revisit it. I know Neil Warnock’s played three at the back at times and he’s played a back four, but I think it’s just got to be down to what we want to do and let them worry about us.”

Midfielders Andre Dozzell and Emyr Huws (knee) and Teddy Bishop (hamstring) are all out for the season, as is keeper Dean Gerken (hip).

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