Town boss Paul Lambert says he’s in no immediate hurry to speak to Will Keane and Alan Judge regarding their futures with his thoughts currently dominated by the Blues’ upcoming games. The Blues manager admits that he is formulating two plans at present, one based on Town being in the Championship next season and one on the team being in League One.
Keane, 26, is on loan from Hull City until the end of the season with his Tigers contract up in the summer, although it includies an option for a further year they are unlikely to take, and the former Manchester United youngster has said joining the Blues on a permanent basis "definitely appeals" even if it meant playing League One football.
Judge, 30, is on a short-term deal to the summer which includes an option for a further season which he has said is "more in the club's favour”.
Asked when he’ll speak to the duo about their futures beyond this season, Lambert said: "Do you know, that’s probably the furthest thing from my mind at the minute because of the games.
"Those two have been brilliant. I think the front three, Collin Quaner, Keane and Judge, are playing ever so well for us at the minute.
"They’re getting game-time, their game-time is getting built up which is great and I think the lads that you just mentioned, I think they’re enjoying their football at the minute, so I don’t want to annoy them.
"See what happens, let them enjoy their football and see if they can keep on helping us the way they’re doing.”
Is he concerned that their performances might alert other clubs? "That’s football, that’s the way the wheel turns and you have to accept that. They come here and they do great, you know the consequences.
"I’d rather they did great and lose them than them do poorly and things go against them. I think they’ve done great for us.”
He admits longer term he is formulating two plans, one for the Championship, one for League One.
"Yes, I don’t think you can have an eye on only one,” he said. "The realism is that we have to look at both scenarios of what could happen.
"But we’ll still be having this fight, there are still 13 games to go and a helluva lot of points to play for.
"We’ve got two big games coming up and if we keep playing the way we have and if we get a bit of a break at certain times and we keep performing, then hopefully we can win.”