Town boss Paul Jewell has revealed that central defender Ibrahima Sonko dislocated a rib during Saturday’s abandoned game against Middlesbrough and faces up to a month on the sidelines. The Blues are also set to be without midfielder Lee Bowyer when they take on Portsmouth at Fratton Park on Tuesday night as the veteran is short on match fitness.

Jewell confirmed stand-in skipper Sonko would miss the game at Pompey: “He’s dislocated his rib so it’s probably looking like two to four weeks, I would think. It’s obviously very sore and very tender.

“It’s a blow for us, just as we get momentum going with our centre-halves, they seem to get injured.”

Damien Delaney will come into the side against Portsmouth, who are reportedly could go into administration before Tuesday's game takes place, probably starting on the left with Tommy Smith moving to the right as he did when the Irishman came off the bench on Saturday.

Jewell says Bowyer, who has been out with a groin problem, probably needs a reserve or training game before he can be considered for first team action: “He hasn’t played since the Forest game which was four or five weeks ago.

“We’d like to get him some game time before now and the end of the week, 11-v-11. He’s had a few little twinges but I think he’s fine now.”

Photo: Action Images

mo_itfc added 13:53 - Feb 13 lets get a rightsided CB on loan... asap!
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irishtim added 14:00 - Feb 13 Bloody hell! we need cover now for sure. Still dont understand why this problem with centre halves hasnt been sorted properly.
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newtownfan13 added 14:00 - Feb 13 Would definately like to see Carson playing this week, give the lad some incentive to sign a contract with us PJ, at the moment there is no carrot dangling to encourage him to stay at Portman Road.
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rosseden added 14:02 - Feb 13 get danny collins back on emergency cover!
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bugblatter added 14:02 - Feb 13 His chest was heavily strapped already when the trainer came on to treat him on Saturday. Was he already injured?
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BartsGreatBeard added 14:03 - Feb 13 @newtownfan13 and who would you drop from our back to back winning side who are also playing well you cant just bring him to sign a contract if he wants to be here he will sign anyway
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Weasel69 added 14:06 - Feb 13 this is not cool, PJ there are a couple of decent Zambian centre backs i saw last night, why dont we take a punt on them. haha... true football that last night. COYB... time for tommy to step up to the plate, come on son
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wychyblue added 14:06 - Feb 13 Get Danny Collins back on loan til end of season. I know he'd come if it could be sorted with Stoke (he is now in thier revised preniership squad). Jason Pearce may want to come ,initially on loan obviously , if, as looks likely ,Portsmouth go into admin. Pearce and Collins sounds very impressive!
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bluelady added 14:17 - Feb 13 good grief and if big Del's foot doesnt stand up to it (which i fear it wont) then what?????? Smith and Ainsley at CB? this is beyond a joke now.
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MrCool added 14:21 - Feb 13 I'll get me boots....
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LFCITFC added 14:26 - Feb 13 Oh dear, the clowns are back in defence together then (Delaney & Smith) being a defender is the easiest position to play, and these to mugs make it look so difficult. GET 2 CB'S IN NOW !!
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cornishnick added 14:26 - Feb 13 Johnny Wark could still do a job
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arc added 14:33 - Feb 13 NOOOOO! Not the infamous Smith-Delaney partnership!!
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alex12345 added 14:37 - Feb 13 "LFCITFC" - What on earth are you talking about? Centre back is probably the hardest position to play. If the striker misses a chance it's forgotten about but if a centre back has a shocker its talked about for ages, hence the "not the smith and delaney combibation" style comments. Some people on ehre just have no clue about real football
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irishtim added 14:48 - Feb 13 Get warky in to coach centre halves? They would learn more in one day than they r doing at present imo.
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hadleighboyblue added 15:01 - Feb 13 so we are just left with 2 left sided centre backs ..................it's a recipe for disaster playing these 2 together . feel sorry for Smith if he has to switch to the right , he was just starting to look better on the left. the bottom line is with or without Sonko , we need a right sided centre back .........that's been the case for ages , why oh why haven't we sorted it before ?

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FenboyBlue added 15:03 - Feb 13 Any chance of another abandonment ?
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Doctor_Albran added 15:16 - Feb 13 LFCITFC, what the hell are you talking about? Holding a defensive line whilst marking a striker, watching for runners from midfield (who should be chased/marked by your midfield... depending on whether they can be arsed or not), not dropping too deep, making sure you play the ball out of defense properly, that you clear the danger at the right time, make the right choice between making a tackle and standing someone up, which foot to push the striker to so he's on his weaker side... You can play 90 minutes of the best football you've ever played, but get your positioning wrong for a single header and it's your fault the team has lost, despite your strikers missing a hatful of chances? Welcome to the world of a defender! You, sir, haven't got a clue!

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jas0999 added 15:16 - Feb 13 When you buy two injury prone has been players and a loanee than ultimately it will end in disaster. Sonko's injured (again), Ingimarrsson has been paid off and Collins is back at Stoke. PJ has made a complete hash of this and his failure to sort it out in January looks even more unacceptable now. Pearce was never available, so why waste all month on just one player oh and one who would have left immediately. Poor management from a guy who has lost over HALF his games this season. Terrible. Truely terrible.

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Doctor_Albran added 15:21 - Feb 13 Forgot to add - The issue with Delaney and Smith is that neither is a commanding presence and each centre half partnership needs somebody to take control and organise. I was at the Southampton game and it was too easy for Southampton, S&D where happy to follow their players all over the pitch rather than communicating - it was a duck shoot!
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JewellintheTown added 15:24 - Feb 13 This'll all be Cleggs fault no doubt :)
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carsey added 15:32 - Feb 13 Clegg Out !!!!!!!!!!!!
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carsey added 15:35 - Feb 13 Sonkos injury had nothing to do with the pitch. He was already strapped up and carrying an abdominal injury when the trainer came on it could be clearly seen from the North Stand.
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StuartBrett8 added 15:36 - Feb 13 Dislocating a rib.... that's probably quite difficult to do, bet it hurts like hell.... Portsmouth players?
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MattinLondon added 15:50 - Feb 13 Jas0999 Are you usually quite a happy go lucky person or is it just football that brings out your miserable side/
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