Town boss Paul Lambert says neither Ellis Harrison nor Jonas Knudsen look likely to leave Portman Road before tonight’s 11pm deadline.
Harrison, 25, had been linked with Portsmouth, who subsequently signed Wigan’s James Vaughan in any case, but Lambert says he wasn’t prepared to let the striker leave.
"No, he’s not [going anywhere],” Lambert said. "I had a chat with Ellis and at this moment, no [he’s not available]. Ellis has done well for us and I need four centre-forwards, I think that’s important.
"We can’t just let anybody go out because something can happen injury-wise. There’s still a lot of games to play, Saturday and midweek games, there’s a lot of games still to play. The ones that are obviously [in the main] squad will stay here.”
Meanwhile, left-back Knudsen seems set to stay at Portman Road with no one having made a move for him during the window despite the Danish international, who is out of contract at the end of the season, having indicated to the Blues he would like to move on during January.
"Same situation,” Lambert said regarding Knudsen's position. "As I said before, Jonas has always been really fine with me. It’s not a problem, no ill-feeling or animosity, he wanted to have his eye on something else, that’s not materialised.
"Maybe his agent should have a chat with Jonas and try and speak to myself, but there’s nothing forthcoming.”
Lambert says owner Marcus Evans hasn’t put him under any pressure to move Knudsen on: "None whatsoever. Marcus has been great on all fronts but I think the problem is more on Jonas’s agent’s side, they’re the ones that probably advised him what’s right and what’s wrong, it’s up to Jonas to make the choice. I don’t think it’s worked out very well for him.”
If, as seems certain to be the case, Knudsen is still with the Blues tomorrow, will be remain out of contention for Lambert’s team?
"You never say never,” the Blues boss reflected. "While he is contracted to the club he’s this club’s player, the club pay him, he’s a footballer, so that doesn’t change.
"I will never say, ‘No, you’ll never play ever again’. That’s not the scenario at all. But it’s maybe not fair on other players if somebody is going to move and then other lads are really at it. So I think there’s got to be a bit of fairness in it as well.
"If something happens, it happens, but as I speak to right you there’s nobody [in for him]. That’s why I think maybe the agent thought people were coming in, I don’t know, but it’s not materialised.”
While we understand there is some substance to the earlier reports linking Matthew Pennington with a move to Derby, which would be a loan with a view to a permanent switch in the summer, Lambert was playing down the chances of first-team exits at his press conference.
"Not unless something materialises when I leave you [the media] and go back into the building,” he said, adding: "Nobody knows.”
One player who has departed is midfielder Shane McLoughlin, who has joined AFC Wimbledon on a free transfer.
"He needs to play,” Lambert explained. "Shane, when he trained with us, did really well, but there are more guys coming through which I think is important.
"I don’t want to stop the lad’s career. I would never curtail anybody’s career and it’s important for him to play games. Good luck to him.”
He played down the likelihood of any other fringe players moving out on loan, having previously said that he’d look at Tristan Nydam, recently back from his spell at St Johnstone, going out for a further stint.
"Number one, somebody’s going to have to want you, that’s the first issue,” he said.
"Two, I think it’s got to be right for the player himself, not Tristan specifically, I’m talking in general terms, it’s got to be right for them. And three, I have to sanction it. So at the minute I’ll wait and see.”
Lambert says the players who are out of contract in the summer will have to be patient regarding new deals given the club’s current position.
"The club’s more important than any individual,” he added. "The lads have been brilliant, they really have, they’ve put their shoulder to the wheel every single week.
"In training everybody’s in a really good place but I think the bigger picture, that will take care of itself.”
Meanwhile, young defender Barry Cotter is reported to have turned down a loan move to Swindon Town, although that would be a surprise with the Irishman well out of the first-team picture at Portman Road and understood to be very keen to play senior football. League of Ireland side Shamrock Rovers have also been linked.
Fellow Irish youngster, defender Corrie Ndaba, is reported to have been the subject of a failed loan bid from Dundee United.