Cole Skuse looks set to miss his first league game since joining the Blues last summer when Town travel to Brighton on Saturday. Better news for manager Mick McCarthy is that striker Frank Nouble is back from his hamstring injury.

Skuse, who has started every Championship match this season, suffered a kick to the back of the leg during last week’s 3-1 home defeat to Wigan and came off in the 63rd minute.

McCarthy says he’s not expecting the former Bristol City man to make the trip to the Amex: “He’s not trained at all and it’s looking unlikely that he’ll be fit.

“He’s started every league game this year and maybe that’s part of the reason. He’s been ever-present apart from the cup games and he’s been outstanding. Maybe it has taken his toll, not being able to replace him.”

The Town boss says the 27-year-old could also miss the home games against Derby and Nottingham Forest: “We’ll wait and see but he could be a doubt for the other two.”

Regarding Nouble, who has missed the last two matches, he added: “He’s trained today and he’s fine, he’s OK. Everybody else is OK, thankfully.”

Photo: Action Images

StanwayBlue added 14:58 - Mar 20 Put Frank in in place of Skuse...................... Easy!
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pazelle added 14:59 - Mar 20 Gerken Chambers, Berra, Smith, Cresswell Anderson, Hyam, Williams, Hunt Taylor, Murphy?
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kizaitfc added 15:09 - Mar 20 Will be interesting to see what we are like without Skuse, because i rate him as a player but he adds very little going forward Where as i think Hyam is better equipped in the area of making things happen so I think he shud replace Skuse behind midfield and play Williams and Hunt in the middle
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Bluetone added 15:10 - Mar 20 "Better news for manager Mick McCarthy is that striker Frank Nouble is back from his hamstring injury." That's better news??? Strewth.
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LiamCP123 added 15:11 - Mar 20 HERE COMES TERRIFIC TABBY TO THE RESCUE INSTEAD OF SKUSE! I can surely bet the team will be something like this: Gerken Chambers Smith Berra Cresswell Anderson Tabb Hyam Hunt Nouble Murphy
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Bluecynic added 15:13 - Mar 20 Any chance Richardson can play in Skuse's position?
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Fen69 added 15:19 - Mar 20 I'm gonna sleep a lot easier tonight now Frank's back.
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ashleylewis10 added 15:24 - Mar 20 Mick's likely to deploy a 4-3-3 to counteract brighton's possession game and match up their midfield. Likely 3 in midfield will be Hyam Green and Tabb with Anderson Murph and Hunt the 3 up top
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Wickets added 15:24 - Mar 20 No surprise, injured after 20 mins played on for another 40, dont know why he was clearly crocked, spent most of second half looking at the bench asking to be replaced!
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ashleylewis10 added 15:26 - Mar 20 I meant Anderson Murph and Williams up top. I thought Hunt had a poor game against Wigan. Mind you, most of our attacking players were pretty ineffective apart from Williams in the 1st half
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SamWhiteUK added 15:42 - Mar 20 Gerken Chambers Berra Smith Cresswell Hyam Anderson Hunt Williams Taylor Murphy
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Keaneish added 15:44 - Mar 20 Here we go again... Another must win game so what will we get? Will we get Williams to give us more attacking threat in the middle or will it be Green or Tabb...? I WONDER???????????
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theblueginger added 15:46 - Mar 20 Skusey is a very important player for us. Just look at how shabby our Mid was when he didn't play Preston. Interesting to see how we manage against a passing team.
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Surco72 added 15:53 - Mar 20 MM could stumble over a new central midfield that works due to injury again and forcing him to change Hyam and Skuse . If Nouble comes straight back in after Taylor has been dropped for one average performance against Boro , it will sum up MM's loyalties completely
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Jimmyonthewing added 16:15 - Mar 20 Step up to the plate Luke and Jonny. If we lose this game it signals end of hope this season
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blueherts added 16:18 - Mar 20 Williams HAS to start , Why not give Richardson a go at RB as well Need to address that and much as I like our goal scoring defense - I do not like two lefties in the CB positions We have come up short against the better teams this season and expect another lesson in how to move the ball forward into feet at speed by a decent footballing side Williams can show them all !!!

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Pilgrimblue added 16:22 - Mar 20 This is an ideal opportunity to make more changes. I'd try:- Gerken Richardson Berra Smith Ming Anderson Hyam Cresswell Williams Taylor Murphy And no long ball please MM. we've got the players to make more of a game on the deck
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Nazemariner added 16:38 - Mar 20 This is a fricking disaster. Anybody who actually goes and watches Ipswich play will now that everything we do revolves around Skuse. Perhaps Hyam can play off the centre backs like Skuse does, and it will force MM into a more attacking formation ahead of him. I fear the worst though!
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jpring89 added 17:01 - Mar 20 we need to be positive in this game surely draws not good enough in these games. if we somehow win this game. derby and forest are there for the taking. if only we kept half of the points we have lost from winning positions a playoff place would be all but sealed and have a decent chance of automatic. i think we all know really were far from ready to go up to the premier league next season maybe. not saying i wouldnt love for us to pull it off this year. would also love to be proved wrong

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lowtit added 17:41 - Mar 20 phew - frank is back -
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michael99 added 18:00 - Mar 20 Please dont play Tabb absolute waste of space adds nothing if he starts we usually lose,To all you who slate young hyam he is already twice the player Tabb is.
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howdonblue added 18:07 - Mar 20 Hahahahaha fen 69 ! I won't sleep as easy as you he's hardly a goal machine is he.
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essexboy added 18:28 - Mar 20 Pilgrim blue,spot on mate,great selection.this is mine as well,although I'm not too sure about Gerken.
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floridaboy added 18:32 - Mar 20 Skuse out means Hyam plays. We will get nothing out of the game with Hyam in the side. Offers us nothing. Why not put Taylor in the middle with Williams or even Anderson, offers more than the local boy who has to play because he is local Gerken, Chambers, Berra, Smith, Mings Anderson, Williams, Taylor, Cresswell Taylor, Murphy We are going nowhere with regards to the playoffs so why not try something different. Cannot be any worse than what we have had to put up with the last few games

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Bergholtblue added 18:58 - Mar 20 Who is this Miss Brighton anyway?
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