Striker Jon Walters is again a doubt due to his hamstring injury as the Blues look for their third win in succession when Southend visit Portman Road on Saturday. Gavin Williams and Richard Naylor are not quite ready for inclusion in the squad, but Fabian Wilnis returns.

Boss Jim Magilton says that he won't put Walters's longer term fitness in jeopardy if there are any concerns about his injury: “We will not take any risks with Jon and if he is not right we will give him a weekend's break.

“Billy Clarke has shown a lot better attitude in the last few weeks and has been a lot brighter and he will probably sit on the bench if Jonathan doesn't make it.”

Wilnis has missed out since the Leicester game, also with a hamstring problem, but Magilton says he came through the Ipswich Wanderers game without a reaction: "Fabian had 90 minutes for the reserves on Wednesday and is fine.

"Gavin and Bam Bam have worked really hard in training this week and we're delighted with their progress.

"They are both desperate to play but we will probably carry on training with them over the weekend with an eye on them coming into contention for the Preston game [on Tuesday]."

Williams has been out since the 0-0 draw at Stoke at the end of January with a pelvic injury, while Naylor has been unavailable due to a badly bruised toe. Chris Casement is currently out of contention with an ankle injury.

Even if he is fit, Walters is unlikely to start with Franny Jeffers and Alan Lee having impressed in the 5-2 victory at Hull on Tuesday. They are set to continue with Danny Haynes and Walters or Clarke getting their chance from the bench later in the game.

Town are likely to field an unchanged side for the first time since the end of December. Lewis Price will continue in goal behind the back four of Dan Harding, Jason De Vos, Alex Bruce and David Wright.

In midfield, Jaime Peters and Gary Roberts will again take up the wide roles with Sylvain Legwinski and Owen Garvan in the centre.

Shrimpers boss Steve Tilson watched the Blues at Hull on Tuesday and despite Town's 5-2 defeat of the Tigers says his side are capable of taking some points from the match: "I went to watch Ipswich on Tuesday against Hull and they are certainly beatable.

"It was a good result for them against Hull but it is certainly a game we can go into confident that we can get something."

Tilson says the Town match is the start of an important week for his side, currently sitting second from bottom of the table: "It's a big week for the football club because we have three games in quick succession, but all of them are winnable.

"Ipswich we have spoken about but Burnley and Leeds at home are two sides that are struggling for form and two matches that we have to go and try and win.

"I think that if we get six points from those three games then I will be pleased. It would tighten it up at the bottom even more and give ourselves a chance for the run in."

Southend can recall left-back Steven Hammell after a groin injury, but centre-half Adam Barrett is out having undergone hernia surgery. Winger Richie Foran was sent off during last week's game with Leicester and is banned.

The Shrimpers will be visiting Portman Road for the first time since November 1996 when the sides drew 1-1. Micky Stockwell put the Blues ahead early on but Andy Rammell netted an equaliser on the hour.

Back in October, the Blues beat the Shrimpers 3-1 at Roots Hall, Billy Clarke, Sylvain Legwinski and Alan Lee scoring for Town and Simon Francis pulling one back for the home side.

Saturday's referee is Premiership official Martin Atkinson from West Yorkshire. Atkinson has shown 91 yellow and five red cards in 31 games this season. His last Town match was the 2-0 defeat at Palace early last month in which he booked Alan Lee and George O'Callaghan and red-carded the Eagles' Tom Soares. Last week Atkinson was the official in charge of the Liverpool-Manchester United clash.

Likely squad: Price, Supple, Wright, Harding, Sito, De Vos, Bruce, Wilnis, Legwinski, Garvan, Richards, Roberts, Peters, O'Callaghan, Lee, Walters, Jeffers, Clarke, Haynes.

Photo: Action Images

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