Town Depleted for Final Game Friday, 2nd May 2014 16:04 Mick McCarthy has a somewhat depleted squad going into Saturday’s final game of the season at home to Sheffield Wednesday (KO 12.15pm). Cole Skuse has joined the likes of Luke Hyam, Paul Anderson, David McGoldrick and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake on the sidelines, but better news is that Anthony Wordsworth has returned from a dead leg. Hyam has a hip flexor problem, McGoldrick recently underwent cartilage surgery having been ruled out since February with a knee injury and Anderson has a strained hamstring. McCarthy says he’ll not risk aggravating any injuries going into the summer break: “Woody is back, Paul Anderson’s not fit, Luke Hyam’s not fit, Skusey’s not fit, he got a bang in his ribs in training last week and played with it on Saturday but he’s just felt it again today. “I have to be honest, while I want to win the game, I don’t want any of them breaking down and having to be in the physio’s room for two or three weeks when they really need to go away and have a break. But they’re not fit and they won’t be playing.” Striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, who McCarthy says won’t be staying at Portman Road with his contract up this summer, remains out with a hamstring injury, with his manager adding: “Sylvan’s not fit enough to play. He’s not been available as much as we would have liked.” The Blues boss has previously said that he might look to give some of the younger members of his squad their chance once Town were out of the play-off fight and he says Tyrone Mings may be involved at some stage, along with one or two others, although academy midfielder Teddy Bishop is injured. “Jack Marriott will be on the bench and Alex Henshall will be on the bench and they’ll have a chance,” he said. “Whatever happens, they have a chance of getting some part of the game. Other than that, we’ve got reduced numbers, so it’s needs must a little bit.” He admits that there has been a bit of an end of season feel at Playford Road since the defeat at Burnley last week brought the curtain down on Town’s play-off hopes. “You can sense it all week, and even from me,” he added. “The three points are important but if we’d have been going for the play-offs can you imagine the atmosphere there would have been and the tension there would have been around? “I would have much preferred that because I prefer that level of commitment and the excitement and adrenaline rush of big games. But we want to finish on a high. “I do think that fans remember the last game of the season, the last thing they saw in the season. Let’s hope they see a win and they’re all enthused by it and are looking forward to next season.” McCarthy is likely to continue with his regular backline of skipper Luke Chambers at right-back, Aaron Cresswell — perhaps playing his last game before a summer move to the Premier League — on the left and Christophe Berra and Tommy Smith at the centre of the defence. Dean Gerken will continue in goal. In midfield, Wordsworth is likely to come in for Skuse with Paul Green probably alongside him in the centre with Jonny Williams — who will be playing his final game on loan from Crystal Palace — ahead of them. McCarthy could opt to line-up with Frank Nouble on the right and Stephen Hunt — who may also be playing his last game for the Blues with his contract up and the Town boss yet to make him an offer — on the left. Daryl Murphy will be the main striker. Striker Jacques Maghoma has travelled to Suffolk with the Wednesday squad today after a lengthy absence with a knee problem and could be on the bench. Striker Chris Maguire is set to return to the side having missed last week’s 3-1 home defeat to Bolton as he was at his grandmother’s funeral, while on-loan Chelsea midfielder Sam Hutchinson is back from a two-match ban following his recent red card at Bournemouth. Defenders Liam Palmer (hip) and Lewis Buxton (knee) are again expected to miss out, while Anthony Gardner, Jose Semedo, Kamil Zayatte, Reda Johnson and Rafael Floro are long-term absentees. Owls manager Stuart Gray, whose team is 16th, is hoping to end the season on a winning note: “Hopefully it will be two relaxed teams. There’s no pressure. Mick will be hugely disappointed with the result against Burnley because they wanted to keep their season alive. “But we’re still playing for pride. We’ve got to get back into that winning feeling and back into that habit of not conceding. I want us to get back to being tight defensively, put on a good performance and get a good win. “I’m sure my goalkeeper and back four would like a clean sheet - so would I. We’re not struggling to score goals but we’re leaking too many.” Wednesday have had the edge on the Blues historically, winning 17 times (16 in the league), losing on 15 (14) occasions with 10 (nine) matches ending in draws. At Hillsborough in October, two goals in two first half minutes from Paul Anderson and Wednesday’s Michail Antonio saw the Blues and Owls draw 1-1. Both sides also hit the woodwork, Cole Skuse for Town in the first half and sub Jermaine Johnson for Wednesday late on. The teams last met at Portman Road in October 2012, in caretaker-manager Chris Hutchings’s only game as boss, when Wednesday left Suffolk having run out comfortable 3-0 winners. The Owls, who were previously without a win in 10 games, went in front in the first minute through Ross Barkley, the then-on-loan Everton man added the second just prior to the hour mark, before Antonio netted the third late on. Both Town’s top scorers this season have had loan spells with the Owls. David McGoldrick spent a month there during the early part of 2011/12, scoring once in three starts and one sub appearance, while Daryl Murphy was at Hillsborough for a month in 2005 while a Sunderland player, making four appearances but failing to find the net. Wednesday winger Jermaine Johnson spent time on trial with the Blues back in January 2001 but was unable to win a contract. Young Canadian-born striker Caolan Lavery, a Northern Ireland U21 international, joined the Owls in the summer of 2012 having turned down a professional contract with the Blues during the previous season after coming through the Town academy. The 20-year-old made his league debut for Wednesday as a sub earlier in this campaign and has scored four Championship goals this season, in addition to three during a loan spell in League Two with Plymouth. Saturday’s referee is Carl Boyeson from East Yorkshire, who has shown 90 yellow cards and four red in 31 games this season. Boyeson’s most recent Town match was the 3-1 home defeat to Nottingham Forest in January 2012 in which he booked only Grant Leadbitter, who also netted a spotkick which had been awarded to the Blues after Jay Emmanuel-Thomas had been fouled. Squad from: Gerken, Loach, Chambers, Richardson, Veseli, Cresswell, Mings, Berra, Smith, Wordsworth, Green, Hunt, Tabb, Henshall, Williams, Nouble, Murphy, Marriott, Taylor.
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