Keeper Dean Gerken is fit again after missing last week’s 0-0 draw with Blackpool due to a neck injury but midfielder Luke Hyam, who suffered a hamstring problem in the early stages against the Seasiders, joins striker David McGoldrick on the sidelines for Saturday’s visit to Leicester.

Manager Mick McCarthy said: “Dean Gerken’s fine, Luke Hyam probably won’t be fit until the Middlesbrough game, which is strange as he’s the fittest bloke in the club, or one of them. Just one of those things, it happens.”

The Town boss says he’s yet to make a decision on which of his goalkeepers will start, Scott Loach having impressed in Gerken’s absence: “He did, I haven’t told them yet.”

The question of who will replace 16-goal top scorer McGoldrick, who has been ruled out for 10 weeks with a knee ligament injury, has been the big question of the week and it looks like Frank Nouble will get the nod to start alongside Daryl Murphy at the King Power Stadium.

McCarthy says Sylvan Ebanks-Blake isn’t fit enough for inclusion from the off: “He’s not ready to start. He came on for the 20 minutes last week and he almost got the overhead kick and that’s what he’ll do, he’ll put himself in a position where he’ll get goals.

“But to do 90 minutes, no, he’s not at that level yet. He had 60 minutes the other night in the U21s and got through the game and there’s another one on Monday night and even if he plays a part on Saturday he’ll probably still play in that.

Paul Taylor is McCarthy’s other option but he hints that the former Peterborough man also won start against the Foxes: “He’s in the squad for Saturday, he’s travelling and we’ve just lost the best striker, so there’s an opportunity there for everybody.

“He’s got to get in the team and when he gets in the team he’s got play well enough to stay in it.”

Photo: Action Images

brazilblue added 15:14 - Feb 20 Regardless of his level of coaching at previous clubs, first touch, awareness and technique are attributes acquired in the early stages of football development. START PAUL TAYLOR and scare teams please !
3

rambohambo added 15:20 - Feb 20 We need to start Taylor so he can run off murphy while he holds the ball up. Then are long ball football might work
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AlwaysBlue213 added 15:54 - Feb 20 I hope this doesn't meant that he'll start as i think Loachy deserves to keep his place
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pazelle added 16:07 - Feb 20 Taylor's done nothing wrong on the pitch... And yes, Gerken back please.
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TR11BLU added 16:08 - Feb 20 Taylor is on his way out.
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ArnieM added 16:22 - Feb 20 Taylor quite clearly doesnt apply himself day in day out on tge training ground to warrant being picked. You have to question the player's attitude because his ability is not in question. McCarthy s been in this game too long to doubt his rationale for leaving a player out. Its totally up to Taylor where his career goes from hereon in to the end of the season. I really hope he grabs this opportunity now and apply himself.

6

Surco72 added 16:36 - Feb 20 Taylor has always played well for me in the limited time he has had ? “He's got to get in the team and when he gets in the team he's got play well enough to stay in it.” This rule obviously doesn't apply to Nouble though does it Mick ?
4

carsey added 16:44 - Feb 20 At times like this I would like the owner to get involved and tell McCarthy to play Taylor or at least not play Nouble. Every one agrees he is appalling so McCarthy must be wrong on this one
-4

Surco72 added 16:48 - Feb 20 ArnieM .. its lucky MM never managed Le Tissier or Ledley King as they were very poor trainers and both would never have played
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Jimmy86 added 16:50 - Feb 20 Loach deserves to keep his place for saturday, coz for me he was man of the match and def prevented us from loosing that game. We all hope it should be taylor replacing mcgoldrick, but the reality is it will be mick's pet Nouble, who offers very little if anything at all, or bring in a striker on loan. Bring back Wickham!!
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Michael11 added 16:59 - Feb 20 Triple blow then...
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blues1 added 17:17 - Feb 20 jimmy86. while too think loach was mom last sat, id bring gerken back this week. why? for 1, the only reason he didn't play sat was because of injury, and had been playing well. 2. simply because hes better at dealing with crosses than loach. while loach made several good saves last week, he had no crosses to deal with at all. this week he will have as Leicester play with 2 wide men who put crosses regularly into the box, and loach is very much a line keeper. not saying gerkens brilliant at dealing with that, just better.

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Tractamatt added 17:19 - Feb 20 I will get marked down for this but as I Will consider anything less than 5-0 to Leicester a blessing I think we should start with 10 at the back. Should think we will get a loan player in next week but expect nothing from this weekend so really it makes no difference who MM plays or not.
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thebeat added 18:08 - Feb 20 Surco72 totally agree. Whenever Taylor plays he looks hungry, fast, aggressive, shows vision and awareness and is always a threat Whenever Nouble plays he is useless and contributes nothing. So how is it one rule for one and one rule for another. Not all players are model pro's but all that matters to me is what they do when they cross that white line. The decision to continually play Nouble ahead of Taylor cant be based on ability, more favouritism. As we've seen with Pellegrini witg DeMichelis every manager has a favourite that nobody else would have in their team, unfortunately for us Nouble is Micks.

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blueboy1981 added 18:31 - Feb 20 ..... this Taylor thing is becoming annoying - many are calling for him to be in the team, and why not ?? If there is a problem with him which prevents MM from playing him, whatever that may be - let's hear a little bit more so at least we understand the situation somewhat better. The player has 'flair' - we sadly lack that, so let's have some kind of feedback please - after all WE ultimately pay the wages.

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finchy87 added 18:37 - Feb 20 Taylor and murph up front is what I would go for. I think taylor has done well with the limited play he's had! Also I do think loach done well last week and prob deserves a chance.
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blueboy1981 added 18:38 - Feb 20 blues1 ....... Loach certainly saved us from an embarassing defeat last week, and based on that alone deserved MoM in my opinion - however both keepers have their failings, and I would consider both to be average and no better. Gerken just shades it for me - but only just, and should be back in.
4

jas0999 added 19:27 - Feb 20 Blueboy1981 - completely agree with your last post. Gerken marginally better as he leaves his line. Otherwise, not much in it!
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TimmyH added 20:14 - Feb 20 Either Gerken or Loach it won't really matter on Saturday as either will have their hands full. There's more chance of me getting a game on Saturday than Mick starting Taylor against Leicester but I can see Mick's old faithful Nouble unfortunately getting the nod.
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theobald1985 added 22:02 - Feb 20 loach for me as he was dropped for a couple of mistakes and on that basis DG should have been dropped a few weeks ago. DG is a great shot stopper but has a big clanger in him. loach should not be dropped after last weeks performance and if he is its bad managment
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