Centre-half Adam Webster has joined Town’s lengthy injury list with a hamstring problem which could see January signing Barry Cotter make his Blues debut when Barnsley visit Portman Road on Tuesday evening or in one of the season’s other remaining games.
"Adam Webster’s strained a hamstring there today. I think he has, he came in off training, so he’s a doubt as well,” said manager Mick McCarthy, who is now very short of central defenders with skipper Luke Chambers expected to miss the rest of the season with the injuries he suffered at Brentford.
While Jonas Knudsen is the most likely to move into the middle of the defence, McCarthy says Cotter, 19, who joined Town from Limerick on the final day of the transfer window, is also very much in his thoughts.
"He’s in the squad,” he confirmed. "He was in the squad anyway and he’s probably in the squad with a better chance now.”
Is the Republic of Ireland U19 international ready to start a Championship game?
"When does that get determined?” McCarthy responded. "I think he’s done really well in training. I think he’s done well in games.
"He’s certainly physically tough enough, athletic enough and quick enough, powerful enough to cope with it. Technically, we might get the chance to see. But I’d have no problems playing him.”
McCarthy says he won’t be recalling Luke Woolfenden, who is set to play for Bromley in May’s FA Trophy final against Brackley at Wembley but has considered bringing Chris Smith back from Chelmsford.
"Woolfy’s playing at Wembley, so that would be a really nice thing to do that; bring Woolfy back, put him on the bench and deprive him of a Wembley final. That’s not going to happen,” he said.
"And Chris, I thought about it, but not for tomorrow’s game because it’s too late anyway.”
McCarthy confirmed that midfielder Cole Skuse will be available to play against the Tykes having missed Saturday's trip to Griffin Park having suffered a blow to the head in the Millwall game on Easter Monday: "He trained today, he’s fine.”
Town remain without keeper Dean Gerken (hip), defender Dominic Iorfa (groin), midfielders Andre Dozzell, Emyr Huws (both knee), Teddy Bishop and Tom Adeyemi (both hamstring), and strikers David McGoldrick (groin) and Joe Garner (head, knee and shoulder).