Town boss Roy Keane says skipper Alex Bruce should be fit for Saturday’s home game against Swansea City. Bruce has been out of action since the 4-0 defeat to Newcastle due to a groin injury.

Keane told the club site: "Alex should be OK. He has trained all week and providing there is no change, he should be available for the weekend."

The Blues boss says the four senior players who arre away on international duty — Gareth McAuley, Carlos Edwards, Tamas Priskin and Owen Garvan — will be assessed on their return: "We will wait to see what their fitness levels are like when they get back.

"Carlos is obviously the biggest concern because of the travelling involved in coming back from Trinidad. When you are sitting on a plane for seven to 10 hours it does take the body time to recover."

Meanwhile, striker Jon Stead says picking up the first win of the season on Saturday is hugely important: “It would obviously be a massive blow if we didn't win against Swansea. The three points are on our mind, 100%. If we don't get them, it will be another big setback.

“The bonus would be that we don't have to wait long for our next game [against Watford on Tuesday] to put it right, but we don't even want to think about that scenario.”

Full-back Liam Rosenior says the squad and the management are doing everything they can to turn things around: “There is no panic here — not from the manager nor any of the players. We know where we are but this type of situation separates the men from the boys.

“We are not happy with it and we have had a few meetings between ourselves and also with the coaching staff and the manager. Hopefully you will see the fruits of that on Saturday and over the rest of the season.

“Because of the international break we have had to stew for two weeks and think about the situation we are in. Maybe that's the best that could have happened because we have built up a lot of motivation to put things right.”

Elsewhere, Town's reserve game at Luton, scheduled for next Wednesday, has switched to Tuesday 17th November with a 2pm kick-off.

Photo: Action Images

roytheboy added 17:53 - Oct 14 I'm somewhat disappointed that nothing apparently, as yet, has happened regarding any other loan players, particularly a good centre back !
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danknott added 17:54 - Oct 14 Saturday is the day when Keano gets his first win and saturday is the day when i will finally be smiling come 4.45......COYB
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GiveusanI added 17:55 - Oct 14 Make it so... COYB!
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pickles110564 added 18:10 - Oct 14 danknott, when has any of our games finished at 4:45? 3-1 to us on Saturday and then due to the lads confidence Watford will be stuffed out of sight. COYB
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jas0999 added 18:28 - Oct 14 Is it such a good thing that Bruce is back? What we need is a strong, tall centre half that is going to scare the opposition to death! Like others I am disappointed that a loan player has not yet been signed - although of course there is still one and a half days for something to happen. Interesting quote from Stead. If he plays then I am less confident of a win. Sadly Jon's goal scoring record is awful. I don't think he scored a single goal in pre-season and has looked very poor this year for far.

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Markie31 added 18:51 - Oct 14 Bruce is good, but can't do it on his own. Pim and Smith are just to young and inexperienced, sure they will develop but we need someone with the experience while we are conceding so many. McAuley is a bit hit and miss, inconsistant performer who plays well one day then makes the most embarrassing mistakes the next. Looks like we need this loan player sharpish! or maybe try David Wright in the centre......just a change of formula (which should be sorted pre-season, so we dont keep changing the defence around....but too late now!) PS Whats happening with the young player from Fulham, Troy Brown has he actually played any yet?

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haynes_is_a_ledgend added 18:52 - Oct 14 so pablo and john up front with martin quinn and murry and walters in midfield and bruce pim rosiano and deleaney at the back with richard in goal sorted for us . and nice to see us starting to realise the score and league bord COME ON TOWN
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GeorgiDoundarov added 19:21 - Oct 14 Well I don't know why but most of you guys are prefering Pablo instead of Stead. I really think Stead Is a lot better than Pablo. He didn't had a good start but Pablo has always play one good game out of five or six and that's no good. With what we have now I would like to see Walters back at the more midfielder-ish role with Priskin and Stead forward (which will leave Quinn out of the picture!) Stead and Priskin I think could build a lot better partnership than Walters as a striker and any of the others. Instead Walters will keep the things hot from behind!

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slowerball added 19:36 - Oct 14 Did somebody say that Bruce was good? Oh dear me, I beg to differ. We defended better when he went off against Newcastle - I use the term 'better' in relative terms, it was still poor. Smith & Pim are the future, but aren't ready - although Smith is shaping up nicely - and McAuley is a nailed on selection for me. But Bruce... okay for the squad and nothing more. Walters should keep the armband. Very disappointing - as someone has pointed out - that the promised two loan players are nowhere to be seen. Maybe they have turned us down? Afterall, we aren't the most attractive set up at the moment and Sunderland only have so many players...

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slowerball added 19:39 - Oct 14 DOH! Okay - so now I look a clown because we have signed a loan player! He bloody waited for me to post my last rant before telling us the news... Damn you RK.
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WickedBlue added 19:46 - Oct 14 Oh GAWD can somebody PLEASE nobble Bruce........................? Worse centreback I have ever seen play for Ipswich in 40 years and I have seen some bad ones.
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slowerball added 19:54 - Oct 14 WickedBlue - your post regarding Bruce is 100% accurate. Thank you, you are a gent and a scholar.
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bedsitfc added 20:23 - Oct 14 great bruce is back, swansea will be pleased to see him start. he should have gone with lisbie to colchester
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slowerball added 22:16 - Oct 14 There seems to be a few of us who realise that Bruce is a very ordinary player. Just wait though, some retard will come on here saying things like "he really makes an effort" - meaning he's cr*p but he'll foul someone which makes it look like he's trying - or the classic "why don't you get behind the team" - translated as 'it doesn't matter if some of our players are sh*te or that you pay good money to watch these clowns, just mindlessly be content with mediocrity' - or the most annoying comment ever - COYB. I support my Club and I care. I will get behind the lads and I do, but I've played enough football and watched enough football to recognise a below average player - I reserve mine or anyone's right to express their opinion, and if it is negative, it doesn't mean we don't love our club - in fact, just the opposite.

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slowerball added 22:17 - Oct 14 There seems to be a few of us who realise that Bruce is a very ordinary player. Just wait though, some retard will come on here saying things like "he really makes an effort" - meaning he's cr*p but he'll foul someone which makes it look like he's trying - or the classic "why don't you get behind the team" - translated as 'it doesn't matter if some of our players are sh*te or that you pay good money to watch these clowns, just mindlessly be content with mediocrity' - or the most annoying comment ever - COYB. I support my Club and I care. I will get behind the lads and I do, but I've played enough football and watched enough football to recognise a below average player - I reserve mine or anyone's right to express their opinion, and if it is negative, it doesn't mean we don't love our club - in fact, just the opposite.

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danknott added 09:15 - Oct 15 pickles110564 - you are a nerd!!! get a life!!!
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tractor_lady added 10:14 - Oct 15 Thought the Mcauly/Smith partnership was begining to gell so short of a new CB coming it id much rather this than Bruce who has looked hapless at best this season. Hasnt even played with the passion ive seen in the past and that was his main strength.... must admit when i saw the headlines i though ohhhh no cant he be injured a bit longer :-)
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Wallingford_Boy added 11:00 - Oct 15 Thats the spirit tractor "lady" - get behind the skipper!!
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TractorRoyNo1 added 13:16 - Oct 15 ""Oh GAWD can somebody PLEASE nobble Bruce........................? Worse centreback I have ever seen play for Ipswich in 40 years and I have seen some bad ones. "" ================== Well you must have not been to as many games as me during that period, I can remember Bobby Bell, Derek Jefferson, David Linegan, Ian Atkins, Manny Thetis, etc etc all a dam sight worse than Bruce.

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Surco72 added 13:40 - Oct 15 Bruce and Trotter could not get in the side that finished just outside playoffs last two years now both regulars with one being made captain ,add to that Healy Delaney Martin and Quinn and that is why we are bottom of the table. And TractorRoyNo1 if you think Bruce is a better player than Linighan ? Your name says it all !!
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