Town boss Mick McCarthy says Mauritius international midfielder Kevin Bru has no chance of getting back into his plans for the season ahead with young trio Andre Dozzell, Flynn Downes and Tristan Nydam ahead of him in the pecking order going into tomorrow’s opener against Birmingham at Portman Road.

As revealed by TWTD, Bru, 28, was told he could find a new club back in May and more recently wasn’t handed a squad number for 2017/18.

Despite the likes of Tom Adeyemi, Emyr Huws, Teddy Bishop and Luke Hyam all missing the first match through illness or injury, McCarthy dismissed suggestions that he was short of central options.

“I'm not, I’ve got Dozzell, I’ve got Flynn Downes, I’ve got Tristan Nydam, I’ve got Skusey,” he insisted.

“Kevin’s available and he’s looking to move, I’ll be looking to play the kids if I need to play them.

No chance that Bru, who has another year left on his Town contract, could work his way back into his plans? “Not when Tom Adeyemi and Luke Hyam and Huwsy come back, no.

“We’ve pretty much got a real cluster of midfield players there and, as I’ve said before, there's Flynn and Dozzer, Tristan Nydam’s been great as well.

"If we’re going to progress, then I’ve got to use them and not just go back to the same old, same old.”

Meanwhile, the Blues boss believes Middlesbrough have got themselves a bargain having signed striker Ashley Fletcher from West Ham for £7 million.

McCarthy confirmed that Fletcher, 21, was a player he tried to sign on loan last summer and that he was again on his radar prior to his switch to Boro.

“I was going to get him on loan, what a chump, eh?” the Town manager laughed. “The Friday before he went I was talking about having him on loan, what a big custard pie I got. The agent must have thought, ‘Do me a favour!’.

“But he patronised me and we spoke about it, or the person who was purporting to represent him at the time did anyway. And then the following day I get a message that he’s going there for £7 million. God loves a trier apparently.

“Ashley Fletcher was never in our [price bracket as a permanent siging], no not a chance.

"From his time at Barnsley and leaving Manchester United, he was taken on compensation, he was never, ever going to be in our price range.

"He’s a very good player and I think Middlesbrough have got a bargain. I think he’ll turn out to be a bargain with the money that they cost at the moment.”

Photo: TWTD

hucks216 added 16:57 - Aug 4 "If we're going to progress, then I've got to use them and not just go back to the same old, same old.” Get the feeling that doesn't apply to Skuse.
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Corrick91 added 17:03 - Aug 4 Poor lad, I'll go make him a bru
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iaintaylorx added 17:03 - Aug 4 If we are going to progress, we shouldn't have you in charge Mick!!
4

No_Moore_Kieffer added 17:08 - Aug 4 No mention of Bishop, either? Not sure why Mick doesn't fancy him. Clearly very talented, just been unlucky with injuries. As someone who knows him quite well on a personal level, all this talk of him not caring is total rubbish. All he wants is to get back playing, he hates the thought of people thinking he doesn't care. Just give him a chance and support him, Mick.

3

PortmanTerrorist added 17:12 - Aug 4 I liked Bru, but only really as he was the most progressive of a remarkably average group of midfielders at the time. He upset Mick and now we have options but are any of them better than Bru ? If not then relegation looms, if yes then Mick might have got this one right.
2

Len_Brennan added 17:18 - Aug 4 Certainly adds to the sense that Fletcher was the one that MM thought he had in the bag when speaking a couple of weeks ago. Coulda, woulda, shoulda ...
1

prebbs007 added 17:19 - Aug 4 "If we're going to progress, then I've got to use them and not just go back to the same old, same old.” Are you winding us up Muck ??? Skuse Chambers Knudsen Smith will prob all play a lot more games for you. Just hope and pray it's somewhere else when you're sacked in September. Idiot
9

therein61 added 17:21 - Aug 4 So why was he used quite a lot pre season if he is on his bike, shame it's not your premiership class favourite who's going because no one will get in the side in front of him so it's the same old same old this man will cost us loads of points this season but our great leader refuses to budge in his totally blind faith in a man who is not up to the job he is paid extremely well to do!!.

6

Fat_Boy_Tim added 17:32 - Aug 4 He was played in pre-season because if you want to sell a player it's easier if he's fit and we were short of midfield options when everyone had a bug.
6

tractorboybig added 17:35 - Aug 4 never any good, why he ever played for us is beyond me.
2

jas0999 added 17:46 - Aug 4 Odd one. Although on the one hand I don't think Bru pushed on enough, on the other we are short of players full stop.
1

blue75 added 18:12 - Aug 4 Ok where's McCarthy he never used this phrase "I've got to use them and not just go back to the same old, same old" when talking about the kids!! He keep going back to Skuse and Douglas!! Will the real Mick McCarthy please stand up?
2

cat added 18:35 - Aug 4 Big season for the Big Man, MM's making all the right noises in promoting the youth, have faith in the youth, entertain & progress, anything short of that then McCarthys days are numbered.
2

mow_the_lawn added 18:38 - Aug 4 He'd be on minimal wages anyway so I'd be tempted to keep him as backup and loan the likes of Downes and Nydam out for the season. They're only going to get a handful of sub appearances at best and a few cup appearances here.
1

hollywoodginge added 18:40 - Aug 4 Twtd posters: "play the kids Mick!!" Mick: "il play the kids" Twtd posters: "blah blah blah, Mick out" 🤔🤔
8

muccletonjoe added 18:47 - Aug 4 McCarthy will be here for the season come what may , so those for whom he can do nothing right , i guess twill be a long season.
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ernie added 18:50 - Aug 4 Another one! I would love to know how many players we have got rid of with one or more years remaining on their contract to our loss ! This seems to be a reoccurring trend under MM
1

Mark added 18:53 - Aug 4 I have never really rated Bru. Odd that we gave him such a contract then decide with a year to go that he isn't good enough to feature at all. Bru started the first match last season, which for me underlined how weak the midfield was. I am glad Mick is talking up youngsters ahead of Bru, just a pity we gave him such contract.
3

Incublue added 19:15 - Aug 4 Must have played too many forward passes.
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12th_Man added 19:20 - Aug 4 So what was the point playing him in pre season
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Daleyitfc added 19:59 - Aug 4 For Bru read Stewart ; Taylor ... all got games in pre-season, and Stewart was often picked out as one of our better performers, but once you've answered back to McCarthy you're out the door.
1

EatonBlue added 20:06 - Aug 4 . . . and I was really looking forward to 'he can't drive a car . . etc'
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ArnieM added 20:18 - Aug 4 Bru has been an under achiever since he went off on inured in the Brentford game a couple of ago when we managed to almost clutch defeat from certain victory. He seemed to lose his bite for physical contact .
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RoyalAscotBlue added 21:55 - Aug 4 Did I read that right!?! Did he put others above Skuse in the pecking order? "I've got Dozzell, I've got Flynn Downes, I've got Tristan Nydam, I've got Skusey" I do not believe it for a second, but I definitely read it. 😳
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Battyboy added 22:09 - Aug 4 Don't worry Bru, your a technical player with real quality. Don't leave just yet MM won't be here in September!
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