Town boss Roy Keane is yet to decide whether to include new loan signing Stern John in his starting XI at Cardiff City on Sunday (KO 3pm). The Blues manager will assess the Trinidadian’s fitness at training today and on Saturday before making a decision.

Keane has no new injury worries, aside from Alex Bruce, who is out for two or three weeks with the groin injury he sustained in last week’s 0-0 draw with Sheffield Wednesday.

The Town manager has confirmed that Gareth McAuley will come back into the starting line-up alongside Damien Delaney at the heart of the defence with David Wright and Liam Rosenior set to continue on the left and the right respectively.

In midfield, Keane has been trying to fit in both Jon Walters and Carlos Edwards, despite both preferring to play on the right. Edwards started on the left last week with Walters on the right and despite making a switch around at half-time which saw Walters up front and Edwards back in the right, the Blues could again line-up in the same way.

Keane was pleased with Owen Garvan’s display against Wednesday and the Irish U21 skipper will probably keep his place alongside Grant Leadbitter in the centre.

The Blues boss has shown in the past that he is happy to throw new signings straight into the side, so Stern John may well be included from the off, probably alongside Tamás Priskin, who showed some clever touches last week, despite not looking particularly dangerous in front of goal. Two from Jon Stead, Connor Wickham and Pablo Couñago will be on the bench.

Keane admits he was disappointed to lose loan keeper Asmir Begovic earlier in the week when he was recalled by Portsmouth: “We knew all along that when you’ve got a loan goalkeeper there’s a chance that they could be called back. We’ve got two other good goalkeepers at the club and they’ll get their chance on Sunday.”

The Blues boss says he will decide whether to recall Richard Wright or give Arran Lee-Barrett his Town debut over the next couple of days, but says he’ll have no worries about recalling the former England man: “I’ve not decided which one I’ll go with, but I’ll have no problem putting Wrighty back in. He’s a top keeper, but we felt he needed a break.”

Keane says Cardiff, currently fifth in the table, 14 points ahead of the second-bottom Blues with a home record of won four, drawn two, lost two, will prove a stiff challenge for his side: “Cardiff have been building nicely over the last few years. Dave Jones has got a good squad and a top striker in Michael Chopra and it’s certainly going to be a test for us.

“Our form hasn’t been too bad lately, but again we’ve not been scoring enough goals and that always puts you under pressure. However, we’re looking forward to the game.

“The players are in good spirits, obviously we’ve got a new signing with Stern and we’ve got a new coach, ‘Charlie’ McFarland, the ex-Notts County manager, so we’ve got a couple new faces on the training ground and we’re looking forward to the game.”

The Blues will be making their first appearance at the new Cardiff City Stadium, Keane having made his Town bow in Ninian Park’s final game last season. The match was switched to Sunday at the request of the police due to a rugby international taking place in the city on Saturday.

Cardiff midfielder Stephen McPhail is suffering with a stage one MALT lymphoma and is currently undergoing treatment which will keep him out of action until the new year, but is expected to make a full recovery.

Full-back Kevin McNaughton has a hamstring problem and is likely to miss out on Sunday, but Jay Bothroyd (knee tendon) and Anthony Gerrard (calf strain) are expected to be fit to face the Blues.

Young full-back Adam Matthews, who has been linked with a move to Manchester United, is also expected to be fine after a groin injury.

Striker Warren Feeney, whose grandfather Jim played for Town in the 1950s, has joined Sheffield Wednesday on loan, while full-back Tony Capaldi has moved to Leeds on a similar basis.

Bluebirds boss Dave Jones says Roy Keane will be a success at Town but that patience is required when a side is being rebuilt: "Roy has gone in and done a good job. Sometimes when results don't go the right way there is speculation.

"Ipswich have good players, they've brought good players in, and Roy is trying to mould them into the team he wants. That doesn't happen straight away.

"They've picked up some good results and had near misses trying to turn draws into wins. The culture now seems to be that if somebody loses some games, they've got to go.

"We're all under pressure from day one, win lose or draw because the expectation levels at every football club are really high.

"Some clubs show patience with managers, some don't. I don't see clubs that change their managers a lot at the top of the league. Patience and time in football are commodities that don't go together too well.

"We all know the situation and Roy knows it better than anybody. He's come out and said he's building for the future."

Town keeper Arran Lee-Barrett was with Cardiff between 2003 and 2005 after leaving Norwich’s youth set-up but made only one substitute appearance for the Bluebirds. No Cardiff player has previously represented the Blues.

Town have the upper hand historically, winning 15 (13 in the league), drawing 10 (10) and losing 10 (nine).

Last season, the Bluebirds won 2-1 at Portman Road in December, Jay Bothroyd and Gabor Gyepes netting for the Welshmen and Jon Stead scoring for Town, who had Ben Thatcher sent off for two bookable offences.

The Blues won the return fixture, the penultimate of the season, the last at Ninian Park and Roy Keane’s first in charge of Town, 3-0 with Pablo Couñago, David Norris and Jon Stead on the scoresheet. Richard Wright saved a Ross McCormack penalty.

Sunday’s referee is Jarnail Singh from Hounslow, who has shown 41 yellow and no red cards in 11 games so far this season. Singh’s last Town game was the 3-2 home victory over Scunthorpe in December 2007 in which he booked only the Iron’s Jim Goodwin.

Squad from: R Wright, Lee-Barrett, Rosenior, D Wright, Delaney, McAuley, Smith, Brown, Leadbitter, Garvan, Quinn, Healy, Trotter, Colback, Walters, Edwards, Peters, Martin, John, Priskin, Stead, Couñago, Wickham.

Photo: Action Images

ITFCspud added 15:14 - Nov 27 I done really care unless Priskin isn't playing, try Stead and john :)
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byebyesheepshanks added 15:17 - Nov 27 ...That's why we've won 1 league game all season & are 4 points off safety. Oh, & drop established players, lose by loads, & then bring them back like it's something clever. EG - Wright over Balkestein or Garvan over Trotter. We all knew who the best players were. Yeah, & you can quote me on that!
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naa added 15:17 - Nov 27 Super: well partly I guess. But you have come up with one occasion (when I think pretty much everyone agreed too) out of 17 games. And whilst you are partly correct about tweaks for different games you are also ignoring the fact that you need a settled team. And we don't have one. I see Keane's changes as constant attempts to find something that works, not tweaking to handle different opponents. I consider it no coincidence that we aren't scoring goals when he has made no attempt to form a strike pairing. If it doesn't work in one game (or even one half) it gets changed the next game. That's not right in my opinion. Strikers need at least 3 games together in a row. The problem is of course that we now need instant results because we've had such an appaling start, which is why he feels he can't risk sticking with anything for long.

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naa added 15:22 - Nov 27 super: it isn't weird. I haven't complained when he's played Pablo, Garvan or Wright. I'm consistent in that. Fact is, those are three players. It wouldn't constitute 2 changes every game for 17 games to drop and then play those three would it? You're being very narrow in your view of what I'm complaining about and what is actually happening with the team selection. And what about Garvan, while we're here. Keane was totally right to drop him you said. Was awful in reserves. Must be more to it than we knew about blah blah. Then he randomly plays and was one of our better players. Well what a surprise! Garvan can pass! We didn't all know that did we?

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Surco72 added 15:23 - Nov 27 Superflude ...against different sides you do need to play different players which is why for weeks we have been saying play Garvan and not play a defensive midfielder . So why did you so strongly defend Trotters selection so many times and completely dismiss Garvan coming into the squad until Keane has done it ? Quite clearly now the defence has been more settled they are looking stronger albeit against poorer opposition maybe a strike pairing should be given the same chance - i mean where did Martin upfront come from ?

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superblueflude added 15:24 - Nov 27 agree with that, however its not far from a settled side now i feel - fingers crossed, we have our full backs, hopefully our CB's which to be fair i think are solid, hopefully our midfield is how we want it and strikers are a problem i think, priskin shows promise, so does stead counago does so much to, john will bring something extra and wikham also - i think Keanes shot himself in the foot, i wouldnt have bought priskin or martin, or john, i would have stuck stead up front with rhodes, counago and wichkam as cover - yes i would lol. see i dont agree with everything keane does.lol

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superblueflude added 15:27 - Nov 27 what i feel was happenign -which i may be right about is that because at the start the defence was very shaky - maybe just maybe it was to risky to play garvan, and keane felt we needed a dm to try to help the defence - that would make sense, I have always liked garvan i just thought he needed to show a bit more get up and go if you know what i mean, and on sat he showed that so hopefully that will continue., and he was really bad in reserves he really was - just goes to show if you have pontential it never goes. I believe keane has made mistakes and hes making up for them, but maybe its to late - maybe he came in and didnt want to go up with "JIMS TEAM" and felt like he needed to buy his own - that would make sense as well. - what do you reckon naa nd surco?

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byebyesheepshanks added 15:29 - Nov 27 You ramble on Super like you're the fountain of all knowledge & everything Roy does is because he has a plan. Why. Tell me please please what he has done that impresses you so much. What am I missing? The bloke is so clearly clueless. We don't score, don't win, conceded plenty, don't have a settled team, games are ugly, look stupid in the press - a total shambles. The plan he had was promotion. He's bought badly. Combine either Man U, Sunderland or Ireland & that's his transfer criteria & you've got the plan. He was so objectionalble in his career he ain't got a network to call 7 that's management skills - not tackling. What is it I'm not seeing. We've won games every season since we went down. Why not now? What's going to happen to change this? Stern John? More rotation? You keep trying to sell the emporors new clothes & we are in an awful position.

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byebyesheepshanks added 15:33 - Nov 27 Now you love Garvan & big Mac is one of your solid centre backs. We all thought they were good International players & ideal for this level at the start of the season. They've been treated terribly by Keane, you agreed with him totally & slaughtered them.Now they are back doing the job they pretty much always did, they're decent players again! Get real.
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JayITFC added 15:37 - Nov 27 "The Blues boss says he will decide whether to recall Richard Wright or give Arran Lee-Barrett his Town debut over the next couple of days." Oh come on. There's no decision to be made here. Bloody ridiculous.
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Surco72 added 15:40 - Nov 27 Super i think you hit the nail on the head ,he doesnt want Jims team . Minor additions would have been fine look at the difference one player made last season when Gio came in . Too much of an overhaul has cost us ,we have blamed the goalkeeper ,the defence ,the midfield and now it is the forwards fault .The team defend as a team and attack as a team ,but we have not been a team.

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superblueflude added 15:40 - Nov 27 if you actually look at my posts ive never said anything bad about Garvan - i've constantly said how i liked him and always have done, hes not premiership and not league 1 either hes a championship player - all i said was there was a reason why he was dropped - you dont get dropped for no reason, and Mcauley is a form player we all no that, he was terrible at the beginning but once his confidence gets up i think he shines - again i've always said that. You seem to think i dont question roys decisions - christ yes i do, i hate the fact we sold rhodes, i dont agree with half his signings, but at the end of the day he is our manager - yes if i had the power i would sack keane now and bring in southgate or curbs or even fergy jnr but i dont, so i choose to support town and keane with that - slating every decision isnt going to solve anything - i like tp see the reasons behind them.

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superblueflude added 15:45 - Nov 27 Surco - my honest personal opinon is ME has bough in keane for promotion - not ipswich promotion but marketing promotion. our team last year was fine, but needed tweaking but Jim had the problem of knowing his players like friends - whcih is never good. Even if Gio was to far to go, there are players out there that I thought would add to our team not hinder- for me walters is our right hand man, i think we just needed a left footed winger - D.Wright was our right back and although Rosenoir is playing well - for me still D.Wright should play there, in all i think we needed to buy one CB - one winger and one striker - maybe all we needed was a CB? after all we have wickham - we should have Rhodes up top, Cevilli on return and for me Peters could be good but misses that little something, but i would have kept richards to be honest and gave him a run at LW. what do you think guys?

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byebyesheepshanks added 15:50 - Nov 27 If it wasn't 'Roy Keane' he would be sacked. None of the managers you mention would incur a compensation clause so RK's payoff is offset. (I only like Curbs from your list). To be fair to NAA or Callum or anyone complaining about Keane, we are doing it on our own website & not at the ground. No ones booing or calling for his head. No ones getting at the players. I don't think Roy see's the reason behind his decisions - i think he can't see past the red mist & he never could. An impact man, he can't help but shoot from the hip. A manager needs to be manipulating, calculating & planning. He simply hasn't got it & he never will have. Only a club as nice & toerant as ours would sit there so politely & ride the wave down to div 1.

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superblueflude added 15:56 - Nov 27 Agree byebye - i think keanes success was the fact he inherited a squard which was amazingly above the rest of the championship and at sunderland the team picked itself - but at ipswich because we werent a so called big club keane felt our players werent of the same standard - which its bull. I think southgate would do a job - be honest didnt do to bad at borough and also not many others out there either. What annoys me is this constant buying from ireland sunderland or personal clubs, look at hte loans that have taken place, Shorey to forrest - did we go in? woods from Sheff - again did we? dont know if i wanted him but you get my point. on a transfer side keane is clueless and that is my biggest worry

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byebyesheepshanks added 16:06 - Nov 27 Super baby , you've just crossed the floor. Callumgarryschemer will send you your honoury tin hat & rosette. Prepare yourself for plenty of abuse from the devoted, but you'll be fine. The only rule is you can never slate Roy, club or players at the actual game. Well done for swallowing the red pill. Your matrix connection to ITFC.co.uk will be removed this afternoon & your bath of ITFC Maxpac coffee will be emptied!

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naa added 16:09 - Nov 27 super: what just happened. I went for a tea break and you've started doing my posts for me ;-)
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superblueflude added 16:10 - Nov 27 lol i'll be fine from the devoted, as there understand that i am still a pro-towner, and always will be.
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superblueflude added 16:11 - Nov 27 lol Naa - its my truth, yes i do support town and right now its rediculous where we are, can i trust keane no, do i like keane no - but i will give him 6 weeks only - after that if we are still bottom 3 - be prepared lol
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naa added 16:14 - Nov 27 Hey, I resent that! I'm a pro-Towner. That's why I criticise Keane. He's dragging my club down. Anyway, I like to think that I've only ever criticised footballing decisions he's made and not just rant. Which is why you upset me earlier. You don't have to agree with my opinion (though it sounds like you do a lot of the time) but I like to think that I at least back it up.
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haynes_is_a_ledgend added 16:14 - Nov 27 give the old boy a run he
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haynes_is_a_ledgend added 16:15 - Nov 27 give the old boy a run he dont preform then john stead or pablo is on the bench
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superblueflude added 16:16 - Nov 27 yeah you do, and i do back my arguments as wel, i think he's trying but in life trying isn't good enough. Im not wanting success and quality arsenal type football just the football we used to play - even loosing 3-2 to teams was fun, they cheesed you off but you went home after enjoying the match.
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superblueflude added 16:18 - Nov 27 just had a though naa - what if ME looks at these posts - realises that i have finally opened up and expressed my disgust - maybe now things might change lol
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naa added 16:19 - Nov 27 Exactly. Was talking after the Sheff game and I could only think of one game that I'd seen in the last two seasons that I actually came away thinking it was a half-decent match. A couple of others had had their moments, but that's a pretty dire state of affairs really. I was hoping for so much more this season. But yes, whilst I agree with the blog earlier about a new manager needing to come in now to have time with the squad I personally think Keane should be given a few more weeks to see if he can build on the stronger defence we've built up. If not, he's gotta go, surely.

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