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Gerken and Smith Back But Trio Miss Out Against QPR
Friday, 10th Jan 2014 15:09

Centre-half Tommy Smith and goalkeeper Dean Gerken will be back in the Town side which faces QPR at Portman Road on Saturday, but strikers Daryl Murphy and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake both miss out through injury and midfielder Anthony Wordsworth is ill. Veteran frontman Alan Lee will be on the bench.

Gerken and Smith missed last Saturday’s FA Cup draw with Preston due to groin and back injuries respectively, but McCarthy says they’re now OK: “They’re fine, they’re fit and raring to go, the two of them.”

Daryl Murphy was also absent due to an ongoing thigh problem, while new signing Sylvan Ebanks-Blake was substituted just before the half hour mark.

McCarthy says neither will be fit to face Rangers: “Sylvan will be out for three or four weeks.

"We’ll have to be patient with him, his injury is his hamstring, it’s nothing to do with his ankle but we’ll need to rehab him and make sure he’s rehabbed properly so he won’t go out and do that again when he starts playing.

“Murph isn’t available, he’s got a thigh strain. He’ll train on Monday. I think Tuesday might come too quickly and I’m not sure whether I’d want to risk him in that game because he has been outstanding, he has been almost ever-present and I think he’s had a great season so far.

“I’d prefer to lose him for Saturday and Tuesday and have him back firing again, if that’s the case and that’s what we’ll do.”

Alan Lee, who joined the Blues for his first spell at the club eight years ago today, will be amongst the Town subs and could make his second Town debut at some stage having rejoined the club, primarily to coach in the academy, in the summer.

“Alan Lee is on the bench tomorrow,” McCarthy confirmed. “Al just impresses me as a bloke, I like him. He’s great around the place and he’s done well in training, he does what he needs to do and if I need him tomorrow, he’ll be fine.”

He says Anthony Wordsworth, who could still go out on loan during the January window, is unwell: “He’s got tonsillitis at the minute, he was really ill after the game, was probably run down, he hadn’t played many games. He’s ill.

“I’ve 16 fit outfield players, that’s the squad I’ve got. I think we’ve used fewer than everybody else this season. I’ve got 18 [including keepers] and I’ll add Byron Lawrence and Kyle Hammond to beef it up in case anybody rings in and says they’re poorly.”


With QPR playing a 4-5-1 formation, McCarthy may well revert back to his 4-3-3 system after moving to 4-4-2 against Preston.

Gerken will return in goal behind the usual backline of Luke Chambers at right-back, Aaron Cresswell on the left and Smith and Christophe Berra in the centre.

In midfield, the Town boss is likely to recall Cole Skuse to play behind Luke Hyam and Ryan Tunnicliffe, while David McGoldrick, Frank Nouble and Paul Taylor look set to be the strike force.

McCarthy says QPR have a strong squad and even though manager Harry Redknapp has lost a few players, particularly strikers to injury, he expects them to win promotion back to the Premier League at the first attempt.

“QPR are full of real quality players, who have been in the Premier League for a long time," he said.

“He’s lost players, to be fair, he’s lost strikers. I don’t know whether he wants to play two but he’s having to play one up front, he’s had a lot of injuries.

“If they get it rolling they’ll be very difficult to stop. If somebody beats them into the top two, they’ll have had a great season. If somebody beats Leicester and QPR they’ll have had a remarkable season.”

QPR are set to recall former Norwich keeper Rob Green and veteran centre-half Richard Dunne who were rested for last week’s 4-0 FA Cup defeat to Everton.

Winger Junior Hoilett looks set to miss out with a hamstring problem, while midfielder Alejandro Faurlin is sidelined with a cruciate ligament injury. Striker Tom Hitchcock, who scored the winning goal in the meeting between the teams at Loftus Road, has moved to Rotherham on loan.

Town have won 28 of the previous encounters between the sides (26 in the league), Rangers 24 (22) and 18 (17) have ended in draws.

In August at Loftus Road, debutant sub Hitchcock scored in the final minute to consign the Blues to a 1-0 defeat.

Town had gone close to going in front before the break when Green saved from Murphy, but it was all Rangers in the second half with Clint Hill and Charlie Austin both hitting the bar prior to Hitchcock’s last-gasp goal.

The teams last met at Portman Road in the September of QPR’s Championship-winning 2010/11 campaign.

Neil Warnock’s side brought Town’s unbeaten start to the season to an abrupt end as they ran out comfortable 3-0 winners.

Jamie Mackie struck twice in the first half and Heidar Helguson added a third from the spot after the break.

QPR keeper Brian Murphy - who is likely to be on the bench on Saturday - was with Town between January 2010 and August 2011, making 20 appearances, before joining the R’s after turning down a new contract at Portman Road.

Right-back Danny Simpson made seven starts and one sub appearance for the Blues during a loan spell from Manchester United between March and May 2008, while striker Charlie Austin was close to joining Town from Swindon in January 2011 before signing for Burnley, who he left for Loftus Road last summer.

Blues U21 coach Mark Kennedy was on loan with the R's for just over a month in 1998, scoring twice in eight games.

Town’s support in the Sir Bobby Robson Stand will be augmented by 117 Fortuna Dusseldorf supporters making their annual trip to Suffolk.

After the game, Bryan Hamilton, Fabian Wilnis and John Wark will be at a Legends in Legends Special, along with former Fortuna Dusseldorf star Egon Köhnen.

For a QPR view on Saturday’s fixture, visit our friends at the excellent Loft For Words.

Fans based abroad will get a chance to watch the Blues in action with the game being shown live on TV in various nations throughout the world.

Saturday’s referee is Select Group official Phil Dowd from Staffordshire, who has shown 86 yellow and one red card in 19 games so far this season.

Dowd’s most recent Town match was back in December 2007 when the Blues drew 0-0 with Burnley, who were reduced to 10 men when John Spicer was red-carded just before half-time and also had three players booked.

Squad from: Gerken, Loach, Chambers, Hammond, Cresswell, Mings, Smith, Berra, Skuse, Hyam, Tunnicliffe, Tabb, Anderson, Edwards, Hunt, Lawrence, McGoldrick, Taylor, Nouble, Lee.


Photo: Action Images



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justinashford added 15:21 - Jan 10
hopefuly it will be alan lee comming on and it will be goal alan lee goal
4

itfchorry added 15:27 - Jan 10
Alan Lee - Goal
2

bluefeast added 15:27 - Jan 10
qpr play 451 , if we do not match it we will get done. We cant play 433 as we are two strikers down , if we play 442 we will be up against the best midfield in the division with an extra player with hyam and skuse. Back foot counter attack is all we can do really , try not to lose etc. We will miss murphy who in both boxes has been sound.
0

gazzmac4 added 15:29 - Jan 10
Big Al to come on last 10 and grab a goal?! Could be worth a cheeky punt...
5

battyblue added 15:52 - Jan 10
another injury to a striker and i think we need Jack Marriott back, hope we attack more tomorrow instead of soaking up pressure for most of the game i believe with Paul Taylor starting it could make all the difference will be keeping fingers crossed for 3 points from this one.
7

Garv added 16:06 - Jan 10
Can't wait to see big Al in a blue shirt again. Hope he gets on.

Taylor has to start.
5

essextractorboy93 added 16:07 - Jan 10
Great to see Gerken and Smith back in the side, makes us even more solid at the back. Think we will go 442 with McGoldrick and Nouble upfront and Taylor and Lee on the bench. Skuse and Hyam need to have a strong game with Barton and Henry in their midfield. Let's give Rob Green what he deserves after that howler in the World Cup ;) Should be a good game and excited to see the German lot who always make it a cracking atmosphere! COYB!
1

blueherts added 16:15 - Jan 10
i FANCY US TOMORROW - Love to stick it past Green - and I may just throw his ball back from Loftus Road that he launched at us !
Saw Alan Lee ;ast week - looking leaner than ever seen him !! he can handle Dunne
Agree we need to go 4 in Midfield Barton - Fancy Taylor getting under his skin and winding him up
9

Cloddyseedbed added 16:37 - Jan 10
It seems Wordsworth is either injured or ill most weeks. Get rid, even if it means paying up his contract. We need footballers not sick notes. If the team don't show a different attitude and play better than the last two home games it could be a heavy defeat for town. Or we could just defend, like normal and bore everybody to death.

Come on Ipswich please entertain your supporters, be positive. Or will everybody be happy with a point gained in a bore draw? I won't.
1

Alwaysablue added 16:51 - Jan 10
Cloddyseedbed (whatever that means) do you always moan that much?
0

Berts_chin added 16:55 - Jan 10
Murphy will be a big miss, even with all the plaudits I feel he is underrated.
11

Seasider added 16:59 - Jan 10
I hope a positive Ipswich turn up tomorrow,and it would be nice to take the game to QPR as think this could be just as effective as trying to match them up and defend for a lot of the 90 mins,as seems to be happening lately.
Woody does seem to be a bit of a sicknote;but from Micks remarks would seem to account for his poor showing last week
Would like to see Hunt on left and Taylor on right or am I being too gung-ho?
9

Seasider added 17:02 - Jan 10
Oh yes,and it would be nice to see Big Al (not Hunter) have a cameo appearance!
5

Turkishblue added 17:21 - Jan 10
Alan Lee Goal, good job we warmed the song up at Donnie!

Blue Herts forgot about the ball incident at the end of the game at their place so do what you must!! However he knows we know what his old man does!

Murphy will be a big miss as in the three games I saw over the holidays he with 4 of the back 5 were our most consistent performers

COYB
1

DerryfromBury added 17:29 - Jan 10
Lets take the game to them. 110% and nothing less is expected from everyone in a blue strip, including us fans. Whoever you are in the North Stand, make sure you bring your Big Base Drum and really go for it!! there's nothing better for getting the crowd going, promise we'll try and keep in rhythm with you.
COYB

0

Cloddyseedbed added 17:48 - Jan 10
Seasider I share your hopes too. We seem more effective on the attack. Mick always sticks up for his players and I admire him for it in a way, but in the long term no effort is rewarded by disposal!!
-1

StochesStotasBlewe added 17:51 - Jan 10
Wordsworth seems to be the Ipswich equivalent of Darren "sicknote" Anderton. Can,t see us creating too much from open play, our best chance of a goal or two will be from set pieces imo.
0

jas0999 added 18:12 - Jan 10
Can now see why MM was after a striker on loan. We really do have a small squad, so lets hope ME allows a couple of new players to come in in January. Otherwise injuries could be our downfall. Wordsworth out again! Seems Colchester fans were right about him! Anyway looking forward to the game tomorrow. Should be a good one! Two top six sides!
3

thebeat added 18:50 - Jan 10
As long as we dont go back to the drab pair of Anderson and Tabb im not bothered what the team is. We play much better without them in the team.
Taylor and Hunt on the wings with Hyam and Skuse sitting would be my choice.Just go for it boys QPR arent as good as people make out.
1

warktheline added 19:04 - Jan 10
ME dip your hand in your pocket and help big Mick out,that's the least he deserves.Keep grinding Mick until the club improve squad for you.Top man.
4

ericclacton added 19:06 - Jan 10
HELP!
0

karls_dad added 19:08 - Jan 10
The weak link again will be Nouble, in effect playing with ten men, I really hope that Lee gets some game time, its been noted that he is very lean? lets hope so,
Tough game for us and we have to go at them, if we sit back and defend.... well Titanic comes to mind,

Some may think that i dislike Nouble, hmm as if?
2

TimmyH added 19:53 - Jan 10
Nouble up front again doesn't fill you with confidence and a shame again when we get a player in that can change games (this time SEB) they get injured. I'll bet quite a few quid Taylor doesn't start and what ever formation QPR put out Mick will try and counteract it.
Wouldn't surprise me at all if it's another draw.
3

Ebantiass added 20:03 - Jan 10
Taylor made for big Al to score the winner. Lets get under Bartons skin and get the d$ck sent off at some point. Attack is the best form of defence Super Mick.
Respect but not fear is what we should show them, nothing more. COYBs
4

ArnieM added 20:20 - Jan 10
I can see AL coming off the bench early second half to hold up playing for us.
0


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