Blues boss Paul Lambert says Town’s injury situation is improving with Will Keane, who rejoined the club earlier in the week, and Jon Nolan both involved in this afternoon’s U23s game against Leeds at Playford Road (KO 1pm) and new signing Kane Vincent-Young available for Saturday's trip to Bolton Wanderers after a toe injury.
"No, we’re quite good on that front,” Lambert said when asked about the injury situation. "Jon Nolan and Will Keane will play [in the U23s] this afternoon, so we’re getting most of them back.”
Might Nolan be available for the game against his former club Shrewsbury at Portman Road in a week's time?
"He’s doing really well, training-wise,” Lambert added. "He’s only played part of the [U23s] game the other night [45 minutes] and this is his second so there’s a helluva lot of football he’s missed and a lot of hard work’s gone in to try and get him to this stage, but he’s doing really well.”
Regarding Keane, he continued: "Listen, Will's doing really well injury-wise, and he'll play a part of the U23s game, his game time is way, way down.”
Lambert confirmed that right-back Vincent-Young, whose £500,000 move from Colchester was confirmed on Monday, will be in the squad and in with a chance of his Town debut having recovered from his toe problem: "He trained the other day, and he'll be available for tomorrow.”
Quizzed on whether he has a tough decision to make between Vincent-Young and Janoi Donacien, who has started all this season’s League One games so far.
"We could potentially have 60 games, and we need everybody to be up to speed with how fit they are,” the Blues manager reiterated.
"The lads know, and I've told them all what can happen, so they understand it, they might not agree with it, but that's the way it is.
"Kane's done really well [in training]. He doesn't really need to prove anything to me, you know, I think the newness and excitement of it, I think it'll be great for him. He's only trained a couple of days so let's see how he does.”
Regarding centre-half Toto Nsiala, who has been out since pre-season with a hamstring injury, he added: "He's doing well. He's back running which is great, and he's back out on the grass which is great. You've got another big asset when he's fully fit.
Asked if Luke Garbutt will be ready to return from his knee injury in two or three weeks, Lambert said: "Hopefully, he's doing well. To be fair to them, they're all doing well. Bishop's doing well, and Lankester's doing well, Freddie's doing great, and they're all starting to come back.”
Lambert is pleased to have increased the competition on the left with Anthony Georgiou - who can operate at left-back as well as on the wing - having joined on loan from Spurs.
"Two or three weeks ago we had nothing so now the difference from the squad from before Burton is huge,” Lambert reflected.
"It needed a jolt, and we needed help in here, and [owner] Marcus [Evans] has been great because he's helped us that way and [general manager of football operations] Lee [O’Neill]’s been great to get everything over the line, and I thank them for helping.”
Quizzed on whether he has a strongest XI in mind once everyone’s fit, he added: "I trust everybody to play, I trust all the lads, whoever I pick and whatever system I play them in I trust them, and that's the great thing about being the manager.”