Town boss Jim Magilton will be forced to make at least three changes for Tuesday's FA Cup third round replay at home to Chester City (KO 7.45pm). New signing David Wright is ineligible, while Jason De Vos and Owen Garvan are injured.

Wright is unable to play in the replay as he wasn't registered for the original tie at the Deva Stadium, but will be OK for the fourth round game with Swansea if the Blues defeat Chester. Town's other new recruit George O'Callaghan is also ineligible for the same reason, even if the paperwork relating to his move from Cork City is completed by Tuesday evening.

De Vos is out for at least six weeks having cracked a metatarsal in training on Monday, while Garvan suffered a cut to the foot at Sunderland on Saturday.

Boss Jim Magilton could switch his goalkeepers as he did in the first game when Lewis Price dropped to the bench in favour of Shane Supple, although the Wales international was suffering from a slight strain prior to the trip to Cheshire.

At the back, Alex Bruce was set to replace David Wright at right-back until Jason De Vos suffered his injury. The former Birmingham man now looks certain to line-up alongside Richard Naylor in the centre of the defence.

Fabian Wilnis, Town's only other eligible first teamer able to play at centre-back, and Sito are in competition for the right-back role with Jim Magilton having preferred the Spaniard to the Dutchman on occasion earlier in the season. Dan Harding will continue on the left.

Magilton is likely to switch to a four-man midfield with Matt Richards on the left, Gary Roberts on the right and Sylvain Legwinski and Gavin Williams in the centre. Darren Currie is not included in the squad due to a timely bout of flu. The 32-year-old looks set to join Coventry before the end of the month.

Up front, Alan Lee will be partnered by either Danny Haynes or Billy Clarke, the Londoner having perhaps done enough in recent games to win himself a start ahead of his Irish former academy colleague.

The Town manager says he is determined that his side should make progress in the cup for once: "Our fans would love a nice cup run this year.

"If we get the results in the cup, it can spur you on in the league and we need a more consistent run in the league.

"Our form has been OK and we have got a bit of consistency in our game. We have defended well at times, we just need to score more goals.

"If we manage to overcome Chester, it will give us a spur to go on. We've got a big game at home to Colchester, then a very lucrative fourth round game."

Chester boss Mark Wright is waiting on central defender Ashley Westwood who has a hamstring problem.

Frontman Lee Steele is available after missing the first leg due to concerns that his paperwork wasn't in order following a loan move from Leyton Orient. Midfield player Glenn Cronin remains on the sidelines with a broken metatarsal.

Town fans will be dismayed to discover that Tuesday's referee is Kevin Friend, the card-addicted official who booked Dan Harding, Alan Lee, Sylvain Legwinski, Gary Roberts, Simon Walton and Fabian Wilnis (twice) in the 1-1 draw at Plymouth in October, costing the Blues a £10,000 FA fine.

Overall, the Leicestershire-based official has shown 60 yellow and five red cards in 21 games this season.

TWTD issue 85, featuring interviews with Jim Magilton and Sir Bobby Robson, will be on sale from our sellers by Sir Alf, next to Planet Blue and outside the Portman Road entrance to Churchman's. Subscriptions, either for free or for smallish amounts of cash, are available here.

Squad: Barron, Brittain, Bruce, Clarke, Harding, Haynes, Lee, Legwinski, Naylor, Peters, Price, Richards, Roberts, Sito, Supple, Williams, Wilnis.

Photo: Action Images

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