Town boss Kieran McKenna says the two-week break after Saturday’s home game against Middlesbrough is being viewed as wholly positive following a busy period of matches since the last international break.
The Blues, currently second in the table and battling Leicester and Leeds for the two automatic promotion spots, have no midweek matches for the next fortnight, while next Saturday’s scheduled game at Coventry City has been postponed until Wednesday 30th April due to the Sky Blues playing Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final a week on Sunday.
McKenna says not only is he likely to have Wes Burns and George Hirst back involved following their hamstring injuries, but those currently playing, some of whom have ongoing niggles, could do with the rest.
"We're seeing it as a positive, to be honest,” he said. "We're seeing it as a positive, nothing other than that because you go back to probably international week and we had Kieffer [Moore] and Nathan [Broadhead] involved in two huge games [with Wales], Kieffer playing 120 minutes, Cameron Burgess going to Australia, players away, and everyone's the same.
"Five games in quick succession, especially with the level and intensity of the games and the competitiveness of every game, that has been a big challenge.
"A good challenge and we enjoy it, but I'm really confident that we'll benefit from the break, we'll come back from it stronger.
"Not just, hopefully, having some players back involved who aren't available at the moment, but also I'm sure the players who have been playing lots of games will really benefit from it.
"We'll try and use the period as well as we can. And then we've got a really clear week ahead of us. And we know it's three games [after that, Hull City away, the visit to Coventry and Huddersfield at home].
"Three tough games, three good games, but I'm sure we'll be in a strong position after the break to really attack those games.”
He added: "We're still touching up the finer details of the plan, but it gives you a chance for a few recovery days. It gives you a chance to get some good work on the training pitch. It gives you a chance to get some 11-v-11 minutes into those who need 11-v-11 minutes.
"And, of course, it gives us a chance to fully prepare for the next game, which we haven't had, of course, for the last while. So that's always a bonus as well. So yes, we intend to use the break certainly to our advantage.”