Central defender Richard Naylor and midfielder David Norris are considered big doubts ahead of Town's trip to Scunthorpe on Saturday. Town are already without strikers Jon Walters and Shefki Kuqi.

Naylor saw a specialist regarding the slipped disc in his neck which has been giving him problems for some while earlier in the week and there are fears he may have to undergo surgery.

Norris has had his heel problem since he joined the Blues and had an injection last month. Town are unlikely to risk the £2 million signing at such a crucial stage of the season.

Walters successfully underwent knee cartilage surgery earlier in the week and is expected to be out for six weeks, while Kuqi is sidelined by the hamstring problem he picked up in the Charlton game, but is likely to be back in action in a week's time.

In Naylor's absence, Alex Bruce is likely to continue alongside Jason De Vos at the centre of the defence with Sito and David Wright the full-backs. Stephen Bywater will continue in goal.

Norris's expected unavailability should see Danny Haynes start on the right with Alan Quinn on the left and Owen Garvan and Velice Sumulikoski in the centre.

Up front, Alan Lee and Pablo Couñago will start with Jordan Rhodes almost certainly on the bench.

Boss Jim Magilton says his side will probably have to win five or six of their remaining eight games in order to secure a play-off place and says he would rather not be facing teams like Scunthorpe at this stage of the season: "I would prefer to play a team in the middle of the table than ones that are fighting for their lives to avoid relegation.

"I think this year the play-offs will be gained with lower points than normal with 75 considered to be a target to confirm qualification.

"But this year it could be a few points less than that with so many clubs involved that they will be taking points off each other.”

Town continue to look for loan additions to the squad, but none are expected before Easter.

Scunthorpe have an injury worry over Northern Ireland international midfielder Grant McCann, who hurt his knee in Tuesday's 2-1 defeat to Wolves. Right-back Cliff Byrne has a leg problem, while defender Izzy Iriekpen is a doubt due to illness.

Jon Walters spent three games on loan with Scunthorpe in 2005, but failed to find the net during his time at Glanford Park. Manager Nigel Adkins has said he planned to buy Walters from Chester in January 2006 prior to Jim Magilton taking him to Portman Road. Former Blue Kevin Horlock joined the Iron earlier in the season but is still to make his debut.

Scunthorpe boss Nigel Adkins emphasised the importance of his side, who currently sit second from bottom of the table, winning their remaining home games after Tuesday's defeat at Wolves: "We've got to pick ourselves up and look forward to the next game.

"We've got four games at home. Win them and that puts us on 50 points. We've got another three games away and if we get a victory in one of them it gives us a right good chance.

"We're very, very disappointed that we've come away with nothing. But from my point of view, the way my players have acquitted themselves, we're right down in that dogfight - and we haven't thrown in the towel."

The Blues have rarely faced the Iron with their last trip to North Lincolnshire back in 1986 for a League Cup tie which Town won 2-1. The most recent league game came in Alf Ramsey's Second Division championship-winning 1960/61 season when the Blues left the Old Showground on the end of a 4-0 defeat. Saturday's game will be Town's first competitive match at Glanford Park.

Overall, the Blues have won six (four in the league), drawn two (two) and lost only that 1960/61 game to the Iron. Earlier in the season, goals from Pablo Couñago, Owen Garvan and Tommy Miller took Town to a 3-2 victory at Portman Road, Martin Paterson scoring both for the visitors.

Town have sold out their allocation for the game and there will be no tickets available on the turnstiles.

Saturday's referee is Iain Williamson from Berkshire, who has shown 49 yellow and two red cards in 14 games so far this season. Williamson's last Town match was the 2-1 defeat at Coventry just after Christmas in which Tommy Miller was harshly shown a second yellow card for a tackle where he clearly made no contact with the player.

Likely squad: Bywater, Colgan, Sito, Wright, Wilnis, De Vos, Bruce, Garvan, Sumulikoski, Haynes, Quinn, Miller, Trotter, Williams, Lee, Couñago, Rhodes.

Photo: Action Images

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