Town are set to be without ill midfield trio Cole Skuse, Jay Tabb and Teddy Bishop for Wednesday’s FA Cup third round replay against Southampton at Portman Road (KO 7.55pm).

Skuse missed Saturday’s 1-0 home defeat to Derby due to the virus, while Tabb was subbed in the second half along with Bishop.

Manager Mick McCarthy says they were all sent home from training earlier today: “Skusey came in this morning and he was sent home again. Tabby had to come off because of the effects of it, we sent him home as well this morning.

“And Teddy Bishop as well, so there’s a virus going around the place that’s laying one or two of them low. It’s very unlikely that they’ll be involved but I think the other 14 are OK.”

McCarthy says he was planning to make changes to his team in any case, as he did for the 1-1 draw at St Mary’s: “If you saw the team that we played at Southampton it’ll be similar to that, we had five or six changes and we competed very well.

“I am operating with probably 17 or 18 fit players and we’ve got Saturday-Wednesday-Saturday coming up, all big games, so I think it’s only right that I change some players.”

All three of the ill players are expected to be fine for Saturday's trip to Millwall.

Photo: Action Images

bluehert added 16:39 - Jan 12 So if we have such a small squad, on relatively average wages, who cost essentially nothing to bring in, how come we're reporting operating losses each year and only just staying within FFP limits? Genuine question
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blues1 added 17:18 - Jan 12 bluehert. the answer to your question is very straightforward. we're reporting losses every year due to the fact we are in the championship not the premier league. every club bar those with parachute payments will report losses, and even they will lose money every year they stay in the championship. the ffp states a maximum you can go into debt to stay iwithin its limits. the only reason we are inside those limits is totally due to the average wages, and not paying out large transfer fees. the squad isn't actually that small neither. certainly not as small as some in this division.

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blueboy1981 added 17:25 - Jan 12 Spot on jas0999 ........ we are wafer thin, to be honest - no point in anyone overlooking / denying the fact.
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1RWR added 17:35 - Jan 12 Wallingford.......made me smile as well!
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ITFCOYB added 17:38 - Jan 12 Just who is this Miss Replay? And what's she doing with our midfield?
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ShropshireBluenago09 added 18:15 - Jan 12 my start xI would be; Parr & Mings wing backs… Gerks Parr Chambo Smith Berra Mings Bru Ambrose Hyam Didz Murphy
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Gingerblues added 18:23 - Jan 12 Even with injuries I would like to see Hyam on the bench. It is no coincidence our turn of form came when he got injured. I like him, he works hard but he just isn't good enough to be in a promotion team.
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Garv added 18:36 - Jan 12 Midfield looks awful at the moment. Gerken Chambo Smith Berra Parr Ambrose Hyam Bru Mings Dids Murph .
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blues1 added 18:36 - Jan 12 jas. if youre goig to make a point at least get your figures right.the story clearly says 17 or 18 fit players so where do you get 14 from? I agree that we could do with a couple more signings to boost the squad a bit. but the squad isn't as thin as any of us thought it was at the start of the seson, with tabb having found his form, bru coming on a bundle. the addition of ambrose and hunt, and of course sammon and with stewart hopefully now gonna stay fit and stake his claim we're not in that bad a state. do feel we need another striker tho because, as u say, if murphy or didz got injured we would have a big problem

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Marcus added 19:03 - Jan 12 Both Hunts took knocks to the head against Derby. Am I to presume the lack of reference to this means they're both pip and dandy?
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muccletonjoe added 19:07 - Jan 12 Very much agree with jas0999, we most certainly need some sort of back up striker and if this season is not the time to strengthen the squad then when will be?. I really think we will be found wanting by the end of the season with the size of our current squad
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blues1 added 19:08 - Jan 12 yes Marcus. rthe only absentees are the 3 in the headline of this story.
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brittaniaman added 19:15 - Jan 12 After seeing Southampton beat Man.U at old Trafford we are in for a tough game Wed. So let us hope we can put up a good show against them and for the BBC as well !!!!!
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brittaniaman added 19:27 - Jan 12 Talking above about the size of our squad I did notice in the programme that Derby have about 8 or 9 players more than us !!! so where does the FFP limit comes in to it with them ??? unless they are paying those extra players peanuts or Wally Brolly is working for nothing ????
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Guthrum added 19:43 - Jan 12 Brittaniaman - after seeing Ipswich draw at St Mary's, I think we're in for an interesting game Wed.
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Surco72 added 19:50 - Jan 12 The squad is thin and we are one injury away from the season collapsing if something happened to Dids or Murphy . If this is not the time to gamble with some money Then it never will be . So far in transfer window the squad is weaker than before Christmas
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TimmyH added 20:38 - Jan 12 I feel Anderson should be dropped - he did next to nothing on saturday, Hyam hopefully has read the papers and will spurred on to play better. Bru, Hyam, S Hunt and possibly Ambrose for me in the middle as he played in the first game. Agreed re: the thin squad - if ME has genuine intentions of seeing us in the Premiership next season he'll get a decent Striker and creative midfielder in on loan (at least).

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neillrumsey added 20:40 - Jan 12 Whilst this match is important to the fans and the club MM will be keen to secure 3 points at Millwall. Agree with many posts in that this squad is wafer thin and our midfield is weak compared to many of the top 10 clubs. Evans must now speculate to accumulate . We cannot maintain this momentum with so few players albeit I feel that our defence and attack is the best in the Championship. We need pace and creativity. Anderson and Hyam for me are nowhere near good enough for this league. We need a Hughes type player . Mills shout for Scott Parker is a good one.

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yorksblue added 20:47 - Jan 12 Scott Parker 3 seasons ago maybe. But not now.
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wayway added 20:54 - Jan 12 it has to be said, without Teddy Bishop we are ordinary, no flair no brains just like last season. I predict 90 mins of neckache
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WestNorfolk_Blue added 20:59 - Jan 12 I guess we all agree the squad is light and it does appear that there has been recent movement to make space wage wise for some additions. I thoght Murph looked a little tired and jaded against Derby so i would rest him ready for Milwall and Didz looked lively s would give him another run out. The Derby game had nil, nil written all over it but Derby looked stronger across midfield as a group even though it was an unlucky break, a bit like the goal at Southampton. All in all a cup run is great but i am sure Mick and Terry know where the priority and money lies, next three or four games could shape the rest of the season.

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ChrisL_ITFC added 08:59 - Jan 13 My suggested team would be GerkenParrChambersBerraMingsAndersonHyamBruS. HuntMcGoldrickMurphy Substitutes: Bialkowski   Smith   Clarke   Ambrose   N. Hunt   Bajner   Salmon    Stewart for Bajner or Clarke if he is fit and ready
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ChrisL_ITFC added 09:01 - Jan 13 It should have looked like this GerkenParrChambersBerraMingsAndersonHyamBruS. HuntMcGoldrickMurphy Substitutes: Bialkowski   Smith   Clarke   Ambrose   N. Hunt   Bajner   Salmon    Stewart for Bajner or Clarke if he is fit and ready
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battyblue added 11:43 - Jan 13 Mick says if he signed someone else they would not get in the team does that mean we are not capable of getting someone better than what we have ? because i could name loads of players who would put some of our midfield to shame i take it this means there is no money available again,we are sitting in a great position i believe it is narrow minded thinking we can sustain this position with what we have available we should be giving everything we have and more to finish top two and i don't think we will on current squad, top six probably but then you have two cup finals to play to get to the premiership much easier to get automatic promotion. imo our midfield needs another play-maker at least and a striker capable of scoring on a regular basis as well as Murphs.

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blueboy1981 added 18:16 - Jan 13 ...... this is the point at which we push on - or fall by the wayside - there should be ONLY one objective right now. THAT IS TO PUSH ON .............. to do that ............ WE NEED TO STRENGTHEN - NOW.
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