Town boss Mick McCarthy insists he has no regrets that he didn’t do more business during the January transfer window, despite now being short of midfield players with Ryan Fraser, Cole Skuse and Giles Coke all ruled out for lengthy periods, Jonathan Douglas suspended and Luke Hyam a doubt for tomorrow's match at Bristol City.

Fraser will be sidelined for six to eight weeks with his hamstring injury, while Skuse has a toe problem that will see him out for four to six weeks, while Coke’s knee will seem him miss the next month’s fixtures.

Douglas will serve the final game of his three-match ban at Ashton Gate, while Hyam is back in training after missing last week's match at QPR with a calf problem and will be assessed today.

The Blues’ only signings during January were the addition of free agent Kevin Foley as a direct replacement for Jonny Parr, who joined Strømsgodset, and the loan of youngster Paul Digby from Barnsley.

“I wasn’t going to get anybody to come and cover for Cole Skuse - ‘Please come and be a sub ready for Cole to get injured’,” McCarthy said.

“And likewise with Ryan Fraser. I looked at options then and anybody would say ‘Am I going to play because Ryan Fraser’s playing on that side?’.

“There wasn’t a chance, nobody was coming to be second fiddle to him. That was difficult but maybe now I can say ‘Right, you can come, you’re going to play’, that’s a different ball game.”

He added: “I had it this week. I was trying to take a player and the first question the manager asked was ‘Are you going to play him?’ and I said ‘He’ll be playing on Saturday’, and he’s still not coming anyway!”

McCarthy repeatedly said he was happy with his squad prior to the window closing.

“That was before somebody went round with a machine gun and a chainsaw and sawed them all up, I was fine!” he added. “I was, absolutely, but it’s changed just because of injuries.

“That’s tough but I’m not going to whinge about it, we’ll get on with it and I tend to try and make do with what we’ve got.

“We all want a bit of help and the players will be the same because we all want to be as good as we can. What I do know is that anybody that has to play on Saturday will be a very motivated to play.”

The Town boss says he hasn’t ruled out targeting youngsters from Premier League clubs on loan as cover for the injuries as well as experienced Championship performers in the mould of Ben Pringle, who is set to confirm his loan today.

“Yes, I would, if we’re at full tilt with all our squad in, the ones that you would say are regulars,” he said.

“I think it’s different then, bringing one in and slotting a youngster in, even one of our youngsters.

“If suddenly you’ve got three or four injuries and you’ve got to go outside of what’s been the tried and tested first team and you bring a youngster in, I ask myself the question, ’Is that fair to him? Are we going to see him at his best playing in a team that’s suddenly been decimated by injuries?’.

“That might not be fair to him and it might not be fair to my lads either that are coming in, that there’s a youngster that’s not got Championship experience. It’s a different league, believe me.”

He says any fringe players that do come in on Saturday will be up to the challenge: “We keep them all motivated and ready to play. It’s important that, and that’s why if they do get a chance to play they all train hard and they’re ready to go.

“We’ll work something out for Saturday and then hopefully we will then have Luke Hyam back.

“He may well be available yet, he went through his training today and we’ll see how he reacts tomorrow and then [after this weekend] we’ll have Jonathan Douglas back and that certainly strengthens my hand.”

Photo: Action Images

sidtheswan added 06:08 - Feb 12 He would say that wouldn't he. When you've got your head buried in the sand it's difficult to see what's going on around you .
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Sir_Bob added 06:14 - Feb 12 This is where the lack of bleeding in youngsters shows. MM doesn't even put a young lad on the bench. He sticks the likes of Coke, Toure, Tabb & Foley etc. on the bench, why not have one or two of Dozzell, McDonnell, Henshall, Kenlock, Hammond etc.. OK, they might not be world beaters yet, but having them around the squad and maybe getting 10 mins here & there would help tremendously. It's not all about this week, it's about the future as well.

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Dissboyitfc added 06:37 - Feb 12 not signing any quality in january and no regrets, really? i know he will have in may when we fall short again!
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Keaneish added 07:17 - Feb 12 So, who exactly will we have in the centre of midfield? An unfit Hyam and Tabb? The midfield partnership that started the game in a defeat to a League 2 side? Er...and you have no regrets? The whole of the ITFC fan base have been calling for additional midfield support since October. Anybody else on here fancy running this club with me!? What a farce!
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Benters added 07:18 - Feb 12 erm you would say that Mick right ?
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TheSelkirk added 07:51 - Feb 12 "I tend to try and make do with what we've got" In a nutshell ....
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Keaneish added 07:58 - Feb 12 Sir_bob - i agree with you again. The lack of players coming through the academy is quite startling. Other than Bishop and Emmanuel, others have barely had a sniff of Championship action. Is the decline because the quality isn't there or because of the approach and philosophy from MM? Hard to tell, but when you look at it, Bishop must be the most expensive player on our books given the overheads of the academy!

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prebsa added 08:20 - Feb 12 Keaneish - even Emmanuel is getting shipped out on loan after the little action that he got! I have seen a few U21 games and they most definitely pass the ball on the floor more than the 1st team do. I don't understand why we don't at least stick them on the bench they cant be any worse than the likes of coke and toure etc.
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prebbs007 added 08:24 - Feb 12 You have to say that Mick or you look an even bigger muppet than you already do. You ( and Marcus ) screwed up massively in January but you will never admit it. Our average squad needed improvement even before you allowed Oar & Parr to leave and now we are down to the bare bones. We have lost hugely important players and even though all clubs suffer injuries, we can't cope because our squad is lacking in depth and quality. The fans have been mugged off and lied to and now he sits there and says he is happy he did nothing in the window. Disgusting

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titanicclown added 08:43 - Feb 12 Its not that bad. BB LC. TS. CB. JK KB. JT LV. AMN. FS DM Thats good enough. Tabbys ideal for keeping Freeman quiet.
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Wallingford_Boy added 09:16 - Feb 12 Prebsa - I am afraid THAT'S why they don't fit into the side, they look to pass the ball short and that doesn't fit into the game plan.
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carsey added 09:22 - Feb 12 Cock
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oldegold added 10:02 - Feb 12 It is a sad indictment on our once vaunted youth system which years ago was the best in Great Britain. I know time has passed but we have a manager who really doesn't give two hoots about youth advancement and I don't understand why we don't push more of the youth players through rather than use other clubs' cast offs. Remember when a then 17 year old John Wark was plunged into an epic FA Cup quarter final reply against the then mighty and current league champions Leeds Utd in 1975 at Filbert Street with the words of Sir Bobby Robson ringing in his ears "I'm playing you because I think you're good enough ".. Instead of loaning out Matt Clarke and Josh Emmanuel, give them match experience and if they're good enough they're old enough.

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muccletonjoe added 10:02 - Feb 12 A yorky to admit they're wrong. Got more chance of it raining fivers
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derby123 added 10:11 - Feb 12 So the people who slaughtered mick for playing the kids at Pompey are now saying they should be playing in the
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peteswindon added 10:27 - Feb 12 What about competing for places? of course we need extra players.
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Stato added 10:34 - Feb 12 I was talking to some Pompey lads after the game at their place and they were raving about Matt Clarke which is encouraging and hopefully we feel the same when we get to see him ourselves. The player of ours they rated the most highly over 2 legs was Bart by a mile.
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Keaneish added 10:59 - Feb 12 Derby123 - i don't think anyone slaughtered Mick for playing kids at Pompey did they? The problem was that he made far too many changes, not that he played some youth.
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Jimmy86 added 11:11 - Feb 12 Of course he's not going to have any regrets, he's happily sat in a comfort zone, having just signed a new 2 year contract. If we reach the play offs again, having done it on a shoestring Mick's stock will rise and rightly so. If we don't make the play off's he will say it's because we don't have the financial clout of other teams. If he spends money it then brings pressure on him to achieve top 6 as a minimum. Def a degree of self preservation there in my eyes.

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TimmyH added 12:31 - Feb 12 Come May and if we fail to make the play-offs does anybody honestly believe the sometimes stubborn Mick will come out and say he has 'regrets' about the quiet transfer window? Totally agree what jimmy86 above says...the pressure rises on Mick as soon as he starts spending but if he gets near the play-offs spending nowt then no criticism but there will certainly be doubts about the clubs ambition and if the club has nothing to spend though conflicting messages through Milne before the season and something different from the manager - this is the BIG question!

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jas0999 added 16:43 - Feb 12 The club, Evans and MM should be very disappointed. Four players out, just two very cheap ones in. Promotion ambition? I don't think so. Still, Mick has made it clear there was little to no budget. I keep saying it, but Evans charges an above average championship ticket price. But product wise I.e the players and budget is more bottom half league one. It's about time fans stood up to these rip off tactics.

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grumpyblue1966 added 18:24 - Feb 12 I feel if m.m does not get us in playoffs at least this season then I think he should resign as he is never going to do it.and m.evens should stop being such a tight g*t and get his money out if he don't then he cannot want premier football that much.
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Keaneish added 19:44 - Feb 12 Prebsa - I agree. Nothing Town fans like more than seeing academy talent on the bench. 15 and 20 minutes here and there in the right games would be the right approach in my view. He hasn't had a look in since the Brighton game. TimmyH / Jimmy86 - couldn't agree more.
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Seasider added 11:53 - Feb 13 A Yorkshireman admitting he is wrong,couldn't happen,especially with this one as he doesn't make any mistakes and is a perfect manager,or so he thinks! Marcus clearly has the utmost faith in him;but to do what exactly I am not sure? No players have come through ranks to play regularly unless you include Bishop who seems very injury prone,and this despite Mr Milne saying about a year ago that the aim was to have half the first team home grown in 5 years.Well CEO it wont happen on Micks watch. Even Mings was purchased, and AMN is being blooded for Arsenal although; he is a very long way from being good enough for Arsne;but like Pitman could shine in a football team that plays the game the right way.

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