Striker Connor Wickham is out of Sunday’s derby at Norwich after suffering a thigh injury during Wednesday’s reserves defeat to Spurs. Worse news for the Blues is that central defender Gareth McAuley has undergone surgery on his achilles tendinitis problem and will be out of action for two months.

Keane said: “We’ve had a disappointing week with injuries. Gareth McAuley’s had an operation, he’ll be out for a number of months, and Connor Wickham’s picked up a thigh problem in the reserves and he’ll be out for a couple of weeks.

“We needed a couple of new faces and we’re delighted to bring in a recognised right-back in Gianni Zuiverloon and I think Rory Fallon will give us something a little bit different in terms of an aerial threat, which is something I think we’ve lacked all season.”

The Blues boss says he was looking for an additional big striker even before Wickham suffered his injury: “We’ve been short of players. I’ve been saying since pre-season that if we were to have a good season we would need a bit of luck with injuries but the way things have panned out over the last month or two, with serious injuries to important players for us, we felt we needed to add to the squad.”

Keane feels that New Zealander Fallon adds to his striking options: “I think sometimes when balls come into the box we don’t have anyone available who goes and attacks the ball, whether that’s in the starting XI or on the bench. Rory will hopefully give us that, but we want to be fair to the boy as well and not expect miracles from him. It’s up to the other players to try and help him out.”

Defender Tom Eastman is out for about a week with the groin injury he suffered at Hull, while Mark Kennedy (hamstring) and Luke Hyam (hamstring) remain on the sidelines. Defender Darren O’Dea has been back in Scotland this week with his pregnant girlfriend but is expected to be back for Sunday’s game at Norwich.

Photo: Action Images

bluearmy4life added 12:43 - Nov 26 What a kick in the teeth. Priskin and scotland to start with fallon coming on as a sub. Roy you have to play two up front if we are to have any chance of coming away with a win. I agree with a previous post are midfield have to work there socks off on Sunday and so does Roy in selecting the right 11 with the best tactics you can possible to give us town fans something to cheer about of which you owe it to us!!!!!

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ITFC1985 added 12:43 - Nov 26 Clive_Baker - good shout with the team apart from Livermore who in my opinion has been dreadful since coming on loan, if your going with Townsend youve got to go with Edwards, might aswel go for it on both wings as i feel that could be key for us on Sunday. Hopefully Keane will go with 2 up front but lets face it who knows what the formation or squad will be!!
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Scuzzer added 13:17 - Nov 26 Well. That confirms it. Fallon will play as lone striker on Sunday. With hoofball up to him to see if he can hold it up long enough for an advancing midfield. You know youve seen it before this season very regularly. But now we may have a forward who is suited to the role. Just need to play a couple of our quicker midfielders so as to get up there fast for knock downs and lay offs. Dont see it working myself unless Townesend is given a go.

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WarkOn added 13:20 - Nov 26 Talking of which, here's some derby day player memories... http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/paulfletcher/2010/11/what_makes_a_derby_special.html#
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bizman added 13:27 - Nov 26 Fulop Zuiverloon Delaney Smith O'Dea Edwards Norris Leadbitter Townsend Priskin Scotland On paper -Strong Championship team .........anyone agree?!
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50yearsablue added 13:28 - Nov 26 Thank you johnson for posting sensible comments amongst all the drivel. No wonder Keane thinks Ipswich supporters know nothing about football - a quick look on here would prove him right. I'm not sure why I am lured into reading posts as so many make me cringe
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legoman added 13:34 - Nov 26 1981 I will follow you both with two more in case you miss! I'm excited about match now. New striker, new RB, Delany for Mcauley.
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im_marcacus added 13:47 - Nov 26 Smith & Delaney - both left sided CB's. Plus with a new signing at RB, we're going to need Edwards to work his arse off helping out, or play with Hyam covering the back 4, City are a (painful to say it...) dangerous side. It's not an easy week for Keano :/
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Pessimistic added 13:52 - Nov 26 Oh dear. It is is all sounding very bleak. Just hope that our Rory can have a special word upstairs because we are in need of a bit of a miracle just now.
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muhrensleftfoot added 13:53 - Nov 26 bizman - on paper your team is good enough for a promotion push. Certainly better than the budgies. However, the budgies have one of the best managers in the division, whilst ours is totally inept, both as a tactician & man-manager.
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clive_baker added 14:06 - Nov 26 While i would normally like to see Edwards on the right, Zuiverloon loves to get forward so i would be tempted to play Chuck infrontof him with Leadbitter and Livermore or Colback in the middle and Townsend on the left. Despite the injuries a team from this XI - Fulup or Murphy, Delaney, O'Dea, Smith, Zuiverloon, Norris, Leadbitter, Townsend, Livermore, Colback, Edwards, Priskin, Scotland still looks pretty strong at this level in my opinion. Thats 14 players there. Come on you blues!

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quicksy17 added 14:21 - Nov 26 wickham, not really going to miss him as he's been disappointing this season for the first team, whereas we probably don't have anyone who could fill macauleys boots and fill in at centreback, and if keane sticks eastman there god help us, he's been pretty shocking lately and although he's playing out of position he still needs time to develop
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BlooooCD added 14:39 - Nov 26 What a bugger about McAuley! But we can't hinge our season on a couple of key players.. We should have depth in all area's if we are to contend for promotion. Hang on we might have if we didn't have 400 mid-fileders! Connor was definately pimped out for the yiddo's benefit! And we need a tall striker/target man to win balls in the air... Mmmmmmmm let me think - I know Jon Stead! Oops - SOLD! I have to get behind the squad now for the sake of my own sanity and to support the team, but Keano..... I shall wait for another day with that comment! COYB's!!! That train will be bouncing up on Sunday! COYB's!!!

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Ipswich24 added 14:41 - Nov 26 I was really looking forward to Wickham starting thought this match was the one were his season would start. We seem to never be able to get our strongest team all out at once I believe our best team is Fulop in goal Zuiverloon right back Mcaulay and Delaney/Smith in centre and O'connor left back Midfield Leadbitter and Norris in middle Townsend on left Edwards on right Wickham and Priskin up Top think would provide us with great balance of creativity, width overlapping fullbacks and nice mixture up front anyone agree?

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arc added 14:43 - Nov 26 Time for Troy Brown to prove he's ready. If it's not now, it's never.
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Keaneish added 14:47 - Nov 26 Time to step up to the plate Delaney and go that bit further.
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corshamblue added 15:40 - Nov 26 Gareth's a Top Pro and will work hard to get back asap but that'll be Feb and I hope he'll return to bolster our play off hopes (not relegation fight) We need one more Emergency Loanee as a CB with Eastman & Macca out.
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jong75 added 16:15 - Nov 26 I have no idea why anybody is upset Wickham is not playing, he has been rubbish all season and in my opinion never looks like scoring for us. If the deal is set up with Spurs, happy days, i would take 8 million for him tomorrow.
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I_8_NARWICH added 16:33 - Nov 26 Why on earth did we even play Wickham in the reserves its just a risk which really wasnt nessasary, its an absoulte joke becuase even with that goal he scored he wouldnt have started against the scum anyway because he hasnt been playing good enough at our level yet. Really gutted for Mcauley i mean just in the last couple of games alone we have looked shakey at the back and to now know hes out for 2 months then its just tells me that we have a very tough few months ahead.

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bactonfc added 16:49 - Nov 26 come on town! macauley is our best defender, i just fear without him at the back we will strugle, grant holt is an half decent striker, and i'm slighty concered, zuiverloonen is good, but we will miss macauley for these next 2 months, i think we should get darren o'dea permenant, should've never sold Bruce :( Come on Town for sund'ee, 2-1 to the tractor boys!
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RetroBlue added 17:04 - Nov 26 Wickhams being kept on ice , ready for the Jan window , and Fallon is his replacement! AS for McA being out with a TA injury - well maybe if Evans hadnt been been so stingy with his dosh for this season and quashed the squad down to the bear bones ...made up mainly of (cheaper) acadamy players, we wouldnt be looking at lower midtable , if lucky , for this season !!
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dude added 17:48 - Nov 26 Bummer.
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yorksblue added 19:04 - Nov 26 Get Fallon on from the start, instead of bringing him on when we're 3=0 down with 10 mins left. The Keane and Burley way!
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Back_The_Boss added 09:02 - Nov 27 The latter is the worst news possible. Losing mcAuley is a massive loss, he is the rock at the back of our defence.
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lunatic38 added 16:44 - Nov 29 Fallon ??? what a load of CR*P
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