Boss Mick McCarthy has confirmed that striker Paul Taylor will keep his place in the team when Town face Middlesbrough at the Riverside on Saturday. The Blues manager is also able to call on new loanee Jonny Williams, Luke Hyam and Frank Nouble after injuries but loanee Frazer Richardson is missing against his parent club, while academy second-year scholar Teddy Bishop could travel with the senior squad for the first time having impressed in the U21s on Tuesday.

McCarthy says Hyam is OK after the hamstring injury which has sidelined him since the Blackpool game: “He’s trained today, he’s fine, he looks good.

“The lads who have been away are fine. Jonny was in, Murph was in, Greeny was in this morning, trained.

“Christophe Berra hasn’t because he lands in Scotland sometime today, so there’s hardly any point in him coming down here to travel back up on the coach. That would be ridiculous, so he’s meeting us tomorrow. He’s fine.

“Frank’s trained today. He had a tight hamstring, he had to come off [last week], it wasn’t a precaution. But he did the right thing, he came off, rather than turning it into a strain or a pull.”

“Woody came off this morning with a sore back, so we’ll see how he is but everybody else is fine.”

One absentee will be right-back Frazer Richardson, who is on loan from Boro, and is unable to play against his parent club.

David McGoldrick is the only player sidelined long-term at present but has said he hopes to return from his medial knee ligament injury before the end of the season.

Loanee Williams missed last week’s victory over Birmingham with a hamstring problem but came on as a sub for Wales in their 3-1 victory over Iceland last night and McCarthy says he’s OK to be involved on Saturday: “I think so, I think he’s fine. I had a brief conversation with him.

“He went on for Gareth Bale and got a huge ovation. I’m not sure whether it was for him though! He’s been in and he’s been assessed, he’s fine.”

McCarthy confirmed that Taylor, who was most people’s man of the match having taken Williams’s role in the front three at the last minute last week, will start: “Paul Taylor’s playing.

Can Williams and Taylor play in the same team? “Turn up on Saturday and find out,” McCarthy added. “I’m sure they can, but turn up and see. Paul Taylor’s playing.”

Bishop

Perhaps joining the 20-man travelling party for the first time will be 17-year-old Teddy Bishop, who impressed in a central midfield role in Tuesday’s 1-0 U21s victory over QPR.

McCarthy, who watched Scotland’s U21s draw 2-2 with Hungary at Dundee United's Tannadice last night, says the Cambridge-based attacking midfielder, who has been with the club since the U8s, did very well and joined in with first team training today.

“He was excellent, he trained with us this morning when Woody went off. We went and got Teddy and told him to bring his kit as he might be travelling with us for Saturday.”

Photo: Action Images

Ipswich_Loyal added 15:23 - Mar 6 Looks like Paul Taylor and Jonny Williams could well both be starting on saturday, certaintly doesn't look like we're going there for just a point! Come on you blue boys.
13

theobald1985 added 15:27 - Mar 6 hopefully taylor can really kick on now-lets take the game to boro we have nothing to lose COYB
12

LiamCP123 added 15:32 - Mar 6 Get in there MM! Where are the people saying that he won't start?
6

BlueandTruesince82 added 15:33 - Mar 6 Did I dream this? Also already loving Teddy Bishop, great name for a footballer
9

DanLyles added 15:37 - Mar 6 4-2-1-3: Gerken; Chambers, Smith, Berra, Cresswell; Green, Skuse; Williams; Taylor, Murphy, Ebanks-Blake. I really hope MM does play Williams and Taylor in the same team :) Green and Skuse protecting the back four, Williams helping out but given license to roam and create behind an interchangeable front 3. All those guys up front can go go wide (cutting in) and play through the middle. They all something very different too. SEB is an out and out goalscorer who can play off the last defender. Murphy is a target man the other two can play off. Taylor has pace and can run at people from deep or wide. Variety is the spice of life as they say!

12

pazelle added 15:39 - Mar 6 Superb! Go Taylor, pick up from where you left off!
11

Robbie12345 added 15:49 - Mar 6 Great news! 3 points would be lovely! I wander who Mick was watching last night for Scotland or Hungry U21s.. Hmm..
2

Superblue95 added 16:00 - Mar 6 Good to hear that MM may be prepared to mix things up a bit gives us all some encouragement. Hopefully this Bishop kid will get a few run outs before the end of the season too
2

Lightningboy added 16:23 - Mar 6 Murphy up the middle with Taylor & Williams either side...could be an exciting frontline...
3

Garv added 16:25 - Mar 6 Good.
1

Bobby_Petta added 16:33 - Mar 6 About time Taylor was given a good run in the team. Tabb out and Williams in and I will be very happy! Tabb has been awful all season but still MM picks him.
1

ipswichdave added 16:56 - Mar 6 I watched the U21s on Tuesday afternoon SEB scored a good goal, but not really alot else, the match will have helped his fitness. Bishop looked pretty good, he has good quick feet and not afraid to take players on, slight build but can tackle. Overall Bishop was the best of quite a poor bunch.
4

Tractamatt added 16:57 - Mar 6 Hopefully this is when MM starts to pick his team to win matches not just to be hard to beat.2 players with pace and ability on the same Ipswich team when was the last time that happened? COYB
6

theinbetweener added 17:36 - Mar 6 Didn't realise Niall from One Direction had joined our academy.
2

GerkensBeard added 17:40 - Mar 6 Best news I've had all week!!! It will be the same team as last week apart from hopefully Hyam coming in for Tabb, would love to see Williams and Taylor start mick but can't see it. Prove me wrong mick
2

blueboy1981 added 17:41 - Mar 6 LiamCP123 - ........ I think there would have been uproar had he not been starting after last week - not much else he could have done to prove his point that he should be given a run of games. FLAIR at last - 'HALLELUJAH'.
2

bluemikey100 added 18:34 - Mar 6 reddy teddy only 17 thats more like it mick wot bout young mr riott oops marriott
1

Karlosfandangal added 18:37 - Mar 6 Not a fan of Taylor,but not a Taylor hater Here is his chance now to prove he is worth the money paid for him Please prove me wrong Taylor
0

brian_a_mul added 18:59 - Mar 6 Well done teddy, I'm pleasently surprised, not heard much about him Byron Lawrence must be slipping down the pecking order. Lets hope both can make it in seniors over the next few years. Imagine hyam, Lawrence and teddy in the engine room of our team. With fff this could be a real possibility!
1

jas0999 added 19:08 - Mar 6 Good news. Deserves to start as did well on Saturday. Not sure why people said mick wouldn't start him, as he praised Taylor's performance on radio Suffolk. Mick rightly demands that his players put in a full shift, something he felt Taylor wasn't doing. He did on Saturday so will now be rewarded.
2

TimmyH added 19:44 - Mar 6 Hopefully SEB will get a start too, personally feel we have nothing to lose - Boro' haven't scored in yonks so they'll not be the most confident team at present. Glad to see Taylor starting and probably Williams too, should be very interesting how this match pans out.
1

JCBLUE added 20:36 - Mar 6 Taylor & Williams start = EUREKA!!
1

Bluetone added 21:04 - Mar 6 McCarthy: "Taylor Will Start" He's got it - by jove i think Mick's got it.
0

theobald1985 added 21:29 - Mar 6 jas0999 i think the doubt was partly down to loach being man of the match the week before but then dropped for gerkin. as taylor is not one of micks favorites many people myself included worried that he would make the wrong decision but there definatly was reasonable doubt he would not get the decision right given some of his bizarre selections this season. hopefully taylor will shine so he cant drop him and becomes a first team regular

3

muccletonjoe added 23:19 - Mar 6 Taylor , williams and seb should all start imo , the time for caution has long since passed this is the twist or bust phase of the season and fortune always favours the brave.
1

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