New loanees Mark Noble and Simon Walton are included in an 18-man squad for Saturday's home game with Hull City. The duo signed loan deals on Friday, although their clubs - West Ham and Charlton respectively - will not allow them to play in Tuesday's Carling Cup tie at Peterborough.

Noble will be with the Blues for three months and Walton for a month. Also in the squad are Irish striker Alan Lee and Welsh midfielder Gavin Williams who pulled out of their international squads due to injury earlier in the week. Lee is OK after hurting his hip at Leicester, while Williams is over his groin problem.

Midfielder Owen Garvan remains on the sidelines due to a post-viral syndrome and a knee injury. Fellow Irishman Billy Clarke is also out of action having suffered a dead leg in the reserves game at the MK Dons on Wednesday.

The Blues have not included striker Sam Parkin who is continuing to hold talks regarding a move away from Portman Road, Luton and Preston having had offers accepted by Town.

The two new loanees are likely to start in the centre of the Town midfield, with Walton taking up the holding role occupied by Alex Bruce for the first three games of the season. Bruce is likely to move into the defence at either right-back, apparently his preferred position, or alongside skipper Jason De Vos at centre-back.

Williams looks set to move to the right of midfield with Darren Currie probably getting the nod ahead of Dean Bowditch and Jaime Peters on the left.

Up front, Nicky Forster is expected to be partnered by Alan Lee, although the Irishman is unlikely to manage the full game having missed most of pre-season. Either Bowditch or Danny Haynes will take over after the break.

Boss Jim Magilton says that he is still confident in his squad despite the club's worst start since 1956/57: “After losing three in a row there is no doubt that we need a boost. It is a big game for both sides.

“I have total and utter belief in my players. We were naturally despondent earlier in the week but the spirit has been very good since then.

“I expect us to win all our home games and that will certainly be our aim tomorrow. But we need to defend better, particularly at set pieces, and we have been working hard on that all week in training.”

Hull, now managed by Phil Parkinson who Town were refused permission to speak to when he was with Colchester earlier in the summer, have skipper Damien Delaney out with an ankle ligament injury.

The Tigers, like Town yet to gain a point this season, are likely to give a debut to loanee Mark Yeates who has joined from Spurs. The Blues were reported to be amongst the clubs chasing the ex-Colchester loan player during the close season.

Parkinson says his players are still positive despite their disappointing start to 2006/07: "Hopefully, the game at Ipswich will be a chance for us to pick up our first three points.

"We've been working very hard towards that this week and the lads have been excellent in training.

"When you lose a game, it's always difficult to come in on a Monday. But to be fair, the lads have been bright since ten o'clock on Monday morning. I've been very pleased with the standard of training this week.

"I should imagine Ipswich will be just as eager to get some points on the board as we are.

“They haven't had a fantastic start and they probably expected a lot better. But they will offer us a difficult game. But it is a game that I am more than confident we can get a result in."

Saturday's referee is Premiership official Dermot Gallagher from Oxfordshire who is yet to take control of a game this season. Last year he showed 96 yellow and nine red cards in 43 games. His last Town match was the 1-0 FA Cup third round defeat to Portsmouth at Portman Road in January.

Squad: Bowditch, Bruce, Currie, De Vos, Forster, Harding, Haynes, Lee, Naylor, Noble, Peters, Price, Richards, Sito, Supple, Walton, Williams, Wilnis.

Photo: Action Images

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