Town boss Mick McCarthy has confirmed that midfielder Kevin Bru will miss Saturday’s home game against Sheffield Wednesday with the hamstring injury he suffered in training earlier in the week and is unlikely to return until after the international break at the start of September.

Mauritian international Bru went off with cramp at Brentford having scored Town's opener last Saturday but suffered the hamstring problem in training on Monday.

“Kevin Bru’s still injured, he’s damaged his hamstring, he’ll certainly be two or three weeks from when he did it,” McCarthy said.

“We might be looking at after the international break with Kevin, which is really sad because I thought he played well on Saturday and he’s had a bit of a stop-start career here just through injuries and other people getting in, and he’d sort of grabbed his opportunity. That’s sad.”

Full-back or midfielder Jonny Parr is over his thigh problem but McCarthy suggests the Norwegian will be a sub at best against the Owls.

“Jonny Parr’s trained with us today and he’s fit, he’s injury free, but whether he’d fit to play 90 minutes back to back is another matter altogether,” he added.

“But it’s difficult for him anyway, Jonas Knudsen has come in, Josh Emmanuel came in and played very well and, of course, I’ve got Christophe Berra back from suspension on Saturday.”

With Bru joining Teddy Bishop (also hamstring) and Luke Hyam (knee operation) on the sidelines, the Blues boss seems likely to call on one of his recent signings to partner Cole Skuse in the centre of midfield.

“Both Jonny Douglas and Giles Coke I thought played well and got better in the game on Tuesday,” the Blues boss continued.

“Like everybody else, they needed the game, to get their game legs on. I thought certainly in the second half the pair of them were excellent.

“But we have had injuries from there. Bish has got injured. I wouldn’t forget Tabby, he’s played in there as well. He got better and better wide left, he needed the game.

“But we have had Kevin Bru, who is injured, and Bish, who is injured, and Luke Hyam, so the midfield’s taken a bit of a battering.”

He says Hyam is some way off making his return having undergone surgery during pre-season: “He’s injured and he’s going to be injured for four months, I would have thought, from when he had his operation, so we’re looking at October or November.

“He’s a perfect patient in how diligently he does his work. But he’s pretty depressed by it all because he’s been back twice from it. He’s really disappointed but he’s doing his work and he will be back quicker than anybody else would be because he’ll do all his work.

“He’s got Reg Varney in there as well, I’m sure they’re doing rehab together and he’s a good character to help him along.”

McCarthy was typically tight-lipped regarding any currently ongoing moves to sign new players: “You know I won’t tell you, there’s no point me waffling around it.”

Is he confident of adding to his squad before the window closes at the end of the month? “I’m not unduly worried, to be honest. I’ve got a good squad. I think both Joshes and Myles coming in and doing well have boosted that. But you never know.”

Photo: Action Images

Beattiesballbag added 14:27 - Aug 14 Nows the time to play/try McGoldrick behind the strikers in front of Skuse instead of a second def/mid player!
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MaySixth added 14:35 - Aug 14 Super Mick.
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MeenoITFC added 14:40 - Aug 14 Douglas
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Green_Army added 14:43 - Aug 14 Beattiesballbag - think we may need the two in there v Sheff Wed this weekend as they play 4-3-3 regularly, plus we need to make sure we keep Lewis McGugan quiet. On he's day he can be a real handful!
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Len_Brennan added 14:54 - Aug 14 Insert [what Green_Army said].
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Currie10 added 14:56 - Aug 14 " Beattiesballbag added 14:27 - Aug 14 Nows the time to play/try McGoldrick behind the strikers in front of Skuse instead of a second def/mid player! " Yes because Skuse can carry two wingers and them three on his shoulders. The only manager I know who MAY have given this a go, Joe Royle? Mick did go ultra attacking second half at Blackpool the other season. So who do we think will lineup alongside Skuse? Tabb/Coke/Douglas? From what I've heard from Tuesday, Douglas wasn't great/some way off fitness so I'd have to assume it'd be a tossup of Tabb/Coke. Before people have a nervous breakdown if Tabb is selected, he's not bad at CM and he won't play out wide again I doubt for us again so it wouldn't be the worst call.

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ITFCFW added 15:02 - Aug 14 Pity about Bru but we do have cover. Bad news today is that Nugent is back in the Championship !!!!!
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Green_Army added 15:02 - Aug 14 "Before people have a nervous breakdown if Tabb is selected, he's not bad at CM..." Yeah but he's not great either! Would prefer Coke, much more naturally suited to the position.
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Green_Army added 15:02 - Aug 14 "Before people have a nervous breakdown if Tabb is selected, he's not bad at CM..." Yeah but he's not great either! Would prefer Coke, much more naturally suited to the position.
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Green_Army added 15:02 - Aug 14 "Before people have a nervous breakdown if Tabb is selected, he's not bad at CM..." Yeah but he's not great either! Would prefer Coke, much more naturally suited to the position.
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 15:10 - Aug 14 S***! Hope he's back sooner rather than later. But, as people have pointed out, we have better backup this season than last.
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muhrensleftfoot added 15:10 - Aug 14 Douglas is the obvious replacement for Bru. He scores a goal or two, and had a great season last year. The midweek game will have helped with his match fitness
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Currie10 added 15:15 - Aug 14 Have we seen Tabb in a CM with balanced wingers, when he can actually do his job!? The midfield shape has been an absolute joke for years, we finally have the balance of wide/quick boys/ playmaker/ other player. I'd have no qualms if Tabb starts tomorrow, wins ball, does it simple in the middle, lets Skuse find the wide boys he'd do a decent job. LIkewise, if Douglas or Coke start tomorrow, I'd have faith. Then Mick has decisions to make in attack. Surely our best squad in 10 years this.

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bongoblue91 added 15:18 - Aug 14 Tell us once more green army! 😉
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Bluebongo added 15:58 - Aug 14 Whatever team MM picks Didzy should be included somewhere, either behind the strikers or as a striker, he,s not going to get fit warming the bench. By far the best footballer at the club.
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Beattiesballbag added 16:06 - Aug 14 Currie10 "The only manager I know who MAY have given this a go, Joe Royle?" Where do you think Eric Gates played under Bobby Robson.......with great success! They (SW) play with three across the midfield, so why do we have to have four? Niles & Fraser don't just hug the wings!
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Seasider added 16:26 - Aug 14 Looks like midfield is now our weakest spot due to injuries,with two out of the three of those being creative players. Looks also like all the three in that position who are out are injury prone,so I would not be averse to getting in someone like Jonny Williams who yes is also a bit of a sick note;but mainly due to being battered.He is very creative like Bru and Bishop and during the course of the season one or even two of the above would be available to retain the creativity shown in the first two matches. Isn't it lovely to see the brand of football Town are playing this season so far,with hardly any hoof,thats not to say the long ball to Murph is not justified sometimes. Lets hope Mick can get the players to mix it up so that opposing Managers do not know what to expect unlike previous seasons!

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brian_a_mul added 16:32 - Aug 14 Its gotta be Dougie to start with Skuse. Coke will add fresh legs in second half for Dougie. MM is never going to pick McGoldrick in behind two strikers with our midfield options restricted. I would love to see it but not in this game. Maybe in second half if we need to change the style we could try it for 20 minutes with fresh legs. with 4-3-1-2 We would have to sacrifice our wide attacking threat by having the third midfielder come infield to support Dougie, Skuse & McGoldrick help play up the middle. This would have to be Tabb, meaning Fraser and AMN would be benched. With Douglas & McGoldrick not fully match fit it would be risky. We have seen that Fraser and AMN are awesome out wide and with our strikers it could probably be Murphs & Sears again up front. 4-4-2 all the way for this one! It would make sense to have Tabb on bench to cover center mid or wide left. At least we have options considering the injuries we have!! :)

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jas0999 added 16:49 - Aug 14 Not good news. Bru really added balance to that midfield. With Bishop injured I see few attacking central midfield options. The other three central players are primarily defenders minded.
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OldClactonBlue added 17:51 - Aug 14 If you have any aspirations of automatic promotion Tabb shouldn't be near a start.
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tomitfc added 18:54 - Aug 14 I'd rather have Dean Gerken in the centre of midfield than Jay Tabb. He has the footballing ability of a sock.
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BrettenhamBlue added 04:34 - Aug 15 Not good news. With Bishop and Bru out the only creative midfielder we have is McDonnell. See him more as an impact sub than a starter though. Tabb is the obvious choice to replace Bru, but might require a rejig of the midfield. Tabb, Skuse, Douglas and Fraser would be a very good start. Coke and McDonnell as subs. May sound like a strange combo but given the strength of the Sheffield wednesday back line would start with Murphy and Pittman.

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Currie10 added 10:57 - Aug 15 I understand the Tabb stick of him at LM, justified. Very much given the Alan Quinn treatment! Looks like Coke/ Douglas so lets hope they're fit enough to start! Royle would have this lot scoring 2/3/4 every game guaranteed. Sadly, we'd also be letting in a ridiculous figure but we'd be worth £1000 a week on goals galore coupons single under that configuration!
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