Town boss Mick McCarthy admits that the international fortnight has come at a good time with the Blues having won just once in their last six league games and down to 12th in the Championship.

Despite the recent run of results, the Town manager will still give his players some time off.

“Yes, [it does come at a good time], but they’ll still get a break,” McCarthy said. “[People will think] that we’ll lash into them and really cane them, that’s not the case.

“We’ve potentially got Christophe Berra away, Ryan Fraser away, David McGoldrick away, Daryl Murphy away, Kevin Bru away, Tommy Oar away, Ainsley Maitland-Niles away, so that’s not going to help our cause in terms of working with the team."

Speaking to BBC Radio Suffolk, he added: “We’ll be in training, they’ll get a few days break and then when we come back on the Monday for the week building up to Huddersfield we’ll have to put a good shift in then.”

Having remained loyal to his first-choice players, he admits he is considering changes when the Terriers visit Suffolk: “I keep saying I’ve got the best squad of players I’ve had since I’ve been here, so maybe it’s time to look at a few others.”

McCarthy has no complaints about international breaks interrupting the Championship season, believing that players benefit from them with fixtures coming thick and fast.

“I think it gives players a chance to have a break and to rest up because we are only 10 games in and we’ve got all these games still to play,” he said.

“And then you get that bonkers period over Christmas and then that bonkers period over Easter, so maybe putting their legs up for three or four days will help them long term.”

Berra and Scotland face Poland at Hampden Park, Glasgow on Thursday and then take on Gibraltar in Portugal on Sunday as they complete their Euro 2016 qualifiers.

Fraser and U21s keeper Jonathan Henly are are due to meet up with the Scotland U21s for their European Championship qualifiers against France on Saturday and Iceland on the following Tuesday.

McCarthy said on Saturday that Fraser might well be forced out of those games due to the injury which forced him out of Saturday's defeat at Blackburn: “That’s a discussion that our physio’s got to have with them and I think he’s going to struggle for it.

“He got a knock before the Leeds game, he had a bad ankle and he got another knock in training the other day and had a scan. The scan’s clear but he’s just bruised bone.”

Murphy and McGoldrick’s Republic of Ireland play their final two Euro 2016 qualifiers against Germany in Dublin on Thursday and Poland in Warsaw on Sunday.

Winger Oar and Australia play a World Cup qualifier against Jordan in Amman on Thursday.

Maitland-Niles will be with the England U19 squad for their Euro 2016 qualifying group games in Skopje, Macedonia.

They face the hosts on Thursday, Finland two days later and Italy on the following Tuesday.

Bru’s Mauritius play Kenya in a two-legged World Cup qualifier at home on Wednesday and away on Sunday at the round one preliminary stage.

Defender Josh Yorwerth and keeper Michael Crowe will be with the Wales U21 squad for their Euro 2017 qualifier against Denmark in Aalborg on Friday.

Yorwerth’s loan club Crawley had a request to have Saturday’s home game against Leyton Orient postponed due to international calls denied by the Football League.

Winger Dylan Connolly will be with the Republic of Ireland U21 squad for their Euro 2017 qualifiers against Lithuania at the RSC in Waterford on Friday and Italy in Vicenza the following Tuesday.

Photo: Action Images

pumpee added 10:24 - Oct 5 Of course the break comes at a good time.....that's a couple of weeks without poor results and performances!!
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TimmyH added 10:37 - Oct 5 'So maybe it's time to look at a few others' (re: using other squad players) - well this should of happened a few matches back Mick, stop backing your favourites and start playing some proper fullbacks and stick with a consistent front line.
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itfc1981 added 10:59 - Oct 5 He said that when the last break came around, didn't help much did it.
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OldClactonBlue added 11:18 - Oct 5 it
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thebeat added 12:20 - Oct 5 Personally I wont be getting excited over this. Come the 17th I still fully expect at 2pm we'll all be groaning when we see the team sheet with Gerken in goal, Chambers and Smith out of position, our best player on the bench and the negative twins in centre midfield. ( Don't get me wrong I like Skuse but we don't need his far lesser talented clone next to him ). Prove me wrong Mick please....

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TR11BLU added 12:22 - Oct 5 'considering changes' But the stubborn streak will kick in come the 17th...
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StowTractorBoy added 12:35 - Oct 5 paulcooperisgod I know you jest but Tabb would have been better than many of the players on Saturday. Playing Maitland Niles and Toure on the flanks away from home was a massive error and Tabb at least gives his all for the cause and is better defensively than either of the aforementioned. MM intimates he may make changes but can you really see him leaving out Chambers, Berra and Murphy - I doubt it ?

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Bluetone added 12:38 - Oct 5 Come the 17th McCarthy will have the thought creep into his stubborn mind "If I keep the same team one more time the result will be different and I will be justified, just got to keep going it will come good."
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yorksblue added 12:38 - Oct 5 Wark - "soccer". What is the world coming to?
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warktheline added 12:41 - Oct 5 I've said this before, but the day McCarthy changes Chanbers ,smith, Berra, and whoever, it will unquestionably go down in Ipswich Town FC folklore!!!!
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OldClactonBlue added 13:00 - Oct 5 It is the philosophy which is at fault and delivers the wrong team selection. Like it or not MM does not believe that keeping the ball is a high priority. The better level you play the more wrong he is and I get the impression that more Championship teams are now trying to play the right way.
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cats_whiskers added 13:11 - Oct 5 Ho Hum, McCarthy is considering changes when the Terriers visit Suffolk: “maybe it's time to look at a few others.” He states Yes Mick, Look but you won't touch... As your tweaks are hardly becoming noticeable these days, nor is your idea of a really effective plan B when making those substitutions.. I'm sure this possible news will cause Chris Powell (Huddersfield Manager) some real anxiety in the coming days just wondering how to cope with your alternative team selection and game plan.

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bennyitfc added 13:24 - Oct 5 It's becoming ever clearer that we flattered to deceive last season, thanks to Murph's goals. Would rather we go back to being hard to beat to be honest, and compromise on style.
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tallguy6767 added 13:45 - Oct 5 We're only 10 games in FFS! player's shouldn't be putting their feet up for 3 days with the recent results we've had we might have a few away on internationals but the rest should be out there sorting it out on the training ground! Where's the commitment to the cause Mccarthy !!
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BlueMachines added 13:57 - Oct 5 My understanding is that MM has cancelled some of the break they were to have and is making them do extra training. I am sure we've heard the "I'm considering making changes" last season and he never did. I can only agree I expect the same defence to start against Huddersfield unfortunately I think Bru may start but we shall see. That was never a penalty on Saturday, which is a fact seemingly overlooked, but by all accounts we were dire!!

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rickw added 14:24 - Oct 5 A couple of different systems, dropping those under-performing players: BialkowskiParrMalayczykSmithKnudsenSkuseBishopBruSearsOarMcGoldrick Substitutes: Gerken   Chambers   Berra   Douglas   Maitland-Niles   Murphy   Pitman    We went on a good run last season with this sort of system, McGoldrick was central but drops off leaving space for the wide forwards to come in - Murphy last season scored lots of goals from here Murphy and Berra were undoubtedly our best players last season and Chambers has been very important to us, however I don't like that some players are "undroppable" so dropping these should send a message to all the players, and we can get that workrate back from this time last year. BialkowskiParrMalayczykSmithKnudsenSkuseBruOarMaitland-NilesSearsMcGoldrick Substitutes: Gerken   Chambers   Berra   Douglas   Bishop   Murphy   Pitman    I've put Malarczyk in the team, but that's just speculation as we haven't seen much of him, if Mick doesn't think he's good enough then perhaps Chambers at central defence

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andy_ipswich1990 added 14:48 - Oct 5 McCarthy really needs to do something and bloody quick because we look absolutely awful. After the first 4 games I was really optimistic but now I don't even wona watch up on tele let alone pay to go and watch the crap that we are on the pitch. Surely McCarthy knows that we can't now play skuse and Douglas they leave us way too much space in the middle of the park. Chambers can't play at right back any longer. We need bialkowoski back in goal malarczyk at right back chambers and smith at the back Knudsen at left back. Frazer maitlans-niles skuse and bishop inthe middle and mcgoldrick upfront with sears. Murphy doesn't even look for at all and Douglas can't play with skuse simple as that they both leave us way too open in the middle. Until McCarthy changes the team I can't even see us winning a game!!!!!!

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JoeDickerson420 added 15:53 - Oct 5 jesus.. few OTT comments on here...
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OldClactonBlue added 16:55 - Oct 5 I note that a few people are all for leaving Berra out, which might be appropriate in the short term. But last season he was as good a CB as there was in the division. His poor form is a major factor in our defensive woes so far. However, even if he were at his best the CM pairing would still be causing the same problems. As I said before until MM is committed to a team that keeps the ball we will not make significant progress. Annoying since he has a lot of good attackers at his disposal this season.

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jas0999 added 17:24 - Oct 5 No Gerken. No Douglas. No Chambers at right back. McGoldrick has to start.
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blue86 added 18:17 - Oct 5 As some others have said maybe mick could try a 433? As we did have some success with this for a spell last season. However there does need to be a change as there are a few suffering from bad form. Without doubt Berra is our best cb when in form, but he clearly isn't at his best at present IMO. And when Berra is partnered with smith it leaves us unbalanced as smith isn't comfortable on the right at cb, which is not there fault but either smith or Berra need a right footed cb along side them and on current form I would go with smith. Also the the cm at the mo reminds of a few seasons ago when hyam and skuse played there together.... It doesn't work!! As Douglas and skuse are to similar one of them needs someone who will play the ball forwards and support the attack which I think would help no end, personally think bru and skuse would be good in a 442 or bru, skuse, and bish (when fit) in a 433, just hope we change it around and get back up the table!!! Coyb

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prebbs007 added 18:21 - Oct 5 About flipping time. This should have been sorted in the summer MM/ME !!! We don't have a top half championship keeper RB Right CB CM or CF. Bart is better than Gerken by miles but still not good enough. Chambers is the worst RB in the division. Smith has no right foot so can't cover our shocking RB ( just look how many goals we concede down the channels) Knudsen is a long way off this level Berra is out of form but still our best defender. Skuse & Douglas miles too slow with no creativity at all ( watch how many times they receive the ball and first thought and first movement is negative and very often backwards) Murphy is a joke who had one massive overachieving season never to be repeated we really really should have taken Middlesbrough's cash !!! The problem is defensively I'm not sure we have quality replacements. Parr is a better FB than either of the current pair but who can replace our shocking back 5 and significantly improve the 2nd worst defence in the league. Bru & Bishop have to play. Frazer and Niles have to play. Didzy has to play and pitman looks dangerous when're I see him. Gerken chambers smith Knudsen Skuse Douglas Murphy Coke Emmanuel tabb all not good enough (although some can improve most are only getting worse) It's a big big worry for MM. Best squad for years??? Not so sure. Neither winger is ours and last years big players are finished and will not get us in play offs. Top 2. Dream on. Really really hope I'm massively wrong but the stats don't lie. We can't keep a clean sheet so we won't win games no matter how good we are up front, and with Murphy in the team we are no good up there either. Hope this break dies us good cos not sure we can get much worse. ME you should be embarrassed about your lack of spending (and I don't mean wages as that's gone to players who are on a big downhill slide) and MM you should be embarrassed for continuing to pick out if form not good enough players!!! Come on Town lets get it together!!!

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therein61 added 18:25 - Oct 5 At the end of the day a manager survives or not on results Mick has done a great job from when he joined our club bringing stability and a great work for each other ethic, until that is the last few weeks when he seems to have lost the plot!!!! playing 5 favourites who are clearly underperforming with mistake ridden contributions resulting in a dreadful return points wise, and you need to sort it all out in the next couple of weeks big man!! perhaps a direct bit of Yorkshire fire and brimstone(as directed to us know nothings who pay your wages and have the effin cheek to question what you are doing!?) towards your favourites instead of blind loyalty and cuddles might shake them back into the real world as at the moment they are just taking their money and taking the piss out of the great supporters this club has!!!!! over to you Mick.

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blueboy1981 added 18:28 - Oct 5 Should we start by putting square pegs in square holes - now that would be a 'first' Mr McCarthy - for you. Not asking too much surely - and it may just solve a few problems. Or is it 'rocket science' to expect such a thing from our Manager ? Whatever - but high time it was sorted. A few short weeks back we led the pack, now 12th, how can anyone be happy and condone that ..... ?? Quite simply, that kind of record for anyone - is CR~P.

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blueboy1981 added 18:35 - Oct 5 The plot has been lost - let's all give him the benefit of doubt (for now) - and hope he finds it again, over the 'International Break'. Not advisable to hold the breath though - and maybe I'm just clutching at straws.
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