Cole Skuse remains a big doubt ahead of Saturday’s trip to leaders Wolves with the ankle injury he suffered in last weekend’s 2-0 victory over Reading and, with eight midfield players missing training this week, manager Mick McCarthy has recalled Adam McDonnell from his loan spell with Aldershot. Dean Gerken is also still out and McCarthy says he will look to bring in another keeper during the January transfer window.

“He’s still having treatment sadly,” the Town boss said regarding Skuse. “He’s got a nasty bruised and swollen ankle, we’re trying to get it down, we’re still hopeful, but he’s doubtful for the weekend.

“And what I wouldn’t want to do is to risk him for one game when we’ve got all these games coming along, so if it means that we have to leave him out because he can’t do it [then that will be the case].

“He’s not going to come limping on to the pitch with a strapping on. We’ve got a lot more games to come, so if he’s not right he won’t be playing.”

Kevin Bru looks set to be the man to replace Skuse in the Blues midfield with McCarthy relieved that the Mauritius international didn’t end up moving on in the summer when he was available on a free transfer and came close to joining Toulouse back in his native France.

“Yes, thank goodness nobody took him, eh?” the Town manager reflected. “I was just looking at my board and there are eight midfield players injured at the moment.

“And Kevin Bru was one of those this morning, he got a bang in the ribs, a nasty bang in the ribs and they were swollen this morning but he’s just told me he’s OK. He’ll be training tomorrow, so he’s available for Saturday.

“And he has been excellent. He’s been great whenever he’s been called upon, which just shows what a good pro he is.”

Could the midfield injury problems mean Bru, whose contract is up next summer, might end up staying at Town beyond the end of the January transfer window? “There’s Tristan Nydam and Flynn Downes, who are both to come back, who were are bright young things, both very good players.

“It’s funny when they get in the team at 17 and 18, we all have great big hopes for them, but it’s tough. It’s not easy to come in and play week in, week out.

“But if they come back and when they’re fit, who knows? Kev might be the shining light again and star.

“But he’s coming out of contract, he’ll be wanting to get his situation sorted. So we’ll see. That’s all up in the air, if he gets a chance to play on Saturday, let’s hope he plays as well as he’s always done.”

Nydam is currently out with a hip injury, while Tom Adeyemi is not yet back from his hamstring problem and Emyr Huws and Andre Dozzell are both expected to miss the rest of the season having undergone knee surgery.

Luke Hyam is back in training after his knee operation but not yet ready to return and Downes is also sidelined at present.

“On Saturday I put Kevin on the bench instead of him,” McCarthy added. “Because he’d had a kick on the calf and he was saying he was fit and I said, ‘I don’t need you going on and getting kicked and then somebody else getting injured’. Anyway, as it transpired, he played in the U23s and he still got a kick on it.”

Irish U18 international McDonnell arrived back at Playford Road this afternoon with his loan spell with Vanarama National League Aldershot cut short with immediate effect. The 20-year-old made 19 appearances for the Shots, scoring four times.

Although most of the sidelined midfielders are likely to be back during the Christmas period, McCarthy says he's not known another season like it for injuries.

"We’ve had almost an epidemic of injuries," he said. "This morning when I looked at the midfield players, eight of them on the board, that’s ridiculous that.

“People put midfield players in to me all the time, agents and people, and I’ve said all season, ‘No, it’s the position we’re strongest in, we’ve got loads of them, in fact I’m trying to get shot of some’. That’s come to bite me on the bum that one, hasn’t it?”

Regarding Gerken’s hip problem, McCarthy said: “It’s grumbling on unfortunately, so he won’t be involved on Saturday. We’ll have to look to recruit, I’m certain of that, pretty much certain.

“Gerks, hopefully, doesn’t need any intervention at all, but when the window shuts you’re doing a balancing act all the time then.

“Michael Crowe’s training well but I still think we’d have to look for another goalkeeper, we’d have to have three anyway.”

Further to the injuries, Town will be without right-back Dominic Iorfa, who is ineligible against the club who have loaned him to the Blues for the season.

“Dominic can’t play because we’re facing his parent club, so we’re down to about 15 outfield players, so things are great, no problems at all.”

Photo: TWTD

blue75 added 15:40 - Dec 21 Why worry about midfielders just play defenders there. We all know how defensive you'll start against wolves. Just play Celina, Garner and Waghorn up front defenders play the other positions obviously apart from Bart.
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BlueNomad added 15:44 - Dec 21 Well done Blue75 - you've created an opportunity to bash MM!
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OwainG1992 added 16:09 - Dec 21 Seriously blue75 do we need to attack Mick on every single post? He can't help the injuries and I'll be cheering on the lads no matter what come Saturday! #uptheblues
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clint_eastwood added 16:19 - Dec 21 The same back four, Connolly defensive midfielder with Bishop & Ward central midfield, Celina left, Waghorn right, Garner upfront. DONE!
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OohOohSamassiAbou added 16:27 - Dec 21 Fair play to Kevin Bru, if my boss said they wanted shot of me, I'd be working at minimum effort until I could get out. I'd still rather see Bishop start and Bru replace him after an hour though..
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howdonblue added 16:37 - Dec 21 0-1 town Dare we dream
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blue75 added 16:49 - Dec 21 OwainG1992 I McCarthy would set up to attack someone!! PragmaticBlue I'll bash McCarthy every opportunity I get as I know he'll do the same to us fans.
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rfretwell added 16:55 - Dec 21 Grow up Blue75 you idiot
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jjhbruno added 17:03 - Dec 21 name calling, a very grown up response
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blue75 added 17:17 - Dec 21 rfretwell I don't like McCarthy's style of play never have never will it's my opinion. You're welcome to yours. I never boo my team and will always support them, I watched all 9 goals at old Trafford I've earned my right not to like this manager like many of the supporters from his previous clubs.
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arc added 17:25 - Dec 21 The news about bringing in another keeper must be very demoralising for Michael Crowe–he must feel he'll never get a chance. I suspect Mick doesn't really rate him (which is a shame!).
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NowtonBlue added 18:24 - Dec 21 Blue75, MM hasn't had the funds previous managers have had, alright I agree with you the style of play isn't the best but I fear without him we would now be in Div 1. We all need to be behind the team and shouting our mouths off at Portman Road and stop this constant criticism.
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howdonblue added 18:33 - Dec 21 Nowtonblue The issue I have with Mcarthy is that while after producing superb performance in the 2nd season (playoff season) he did not publicly voice the obvious frustrations he had with Evans backing with funds to kick on . Which in turn lead us to last seasons woes
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blue75 added 18:47 - Dec 21 NowtonBlue you could give McCarthy all the money he wanted he'd still set his teams up to stop the opposition from playing!! I can understand that away but when at home the opposition should worry about how we're going to play, not how it was against Reading them playing keep ball at least they couldn't do anything with it. We showed in that game that we've got players that can play probably the most skillful squad McCarthy's had, but he doesn't let them play. I'm always behind the team and club. I support the players and the club the manager is not to my liking and going on the amount of fans that sing his name during games I'm in the majority.

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Dozzells_Bobblehat added 19:36 - Dec 21 blue75 - I understand some of your frustration but aren't we something like second top scorers in the division ?? Not too bad for a defensive manager ?
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blue75 added 19:51 - Dec 21 Dozzells Bobblehat yes we've scored a lot of goals our shots on target conversion rate is unbelievable!! McCarthy's signing of Waghorn, Garner and Celina are spot on. Did you go to the Reading game we won 2-0 and I was bored watching my team sitting so deep at one point in the first half Reading had 80% possession. What really bothers me is when McCarthy was manager at Sunderland if it had been suggested that he'd one day be our manager the fans would stand for it. He hasn't changed from then but it shows how long a Ipswich fans standards have fallen if they're willing to accept it now. In my opinion a being a football fan isn't about winning it's about seeing your team play a good game. And before it's said no I don't want to see town relegated but if we played good football we wouldn't might not win the league but we would be entertained something we don't get anymore.

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Dozzells_Bobblehat added 21:01 - Dec 21 blue75- again I get some of what u say but look at it another way, imagine being a Reading fan ,seeing all that possession and not really forcing Bart into many saves. Obviously I would love to see us playing free flowing football and winning ( cos surely both are important) but I certainly wasnt bored against Reading and there wasmt much of the so called ' hoof ball' either. I'm not pro MM and I'm not anti MM I just think bashing him has become a sport and a huge proportion of it is unjust .

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Northstandveteran added 21:24 - Dec 21 I have to agree with blue75 on his comment about how we as Ipswich fans have let our standards slip as regards to what we accept. This became apparent to myself long before M.M's tender. We began not to expect to be challenging for the top two many years ago, we then began to accept not challenging for the top six. When you begin to accept mid table mediocrity, there's only one direction you begin to head. I think he makes a valid point. (Probably because I remember being carried off the pitch as a 14 year old during the John Duncan sit down by rather a large policeman 😂) P.s. I am aware from reading this forum that many fans are divided on their thoughts about many issues but surely expressing our opinions is what we are entitled to do and we all want what is best for the club. So on that note, could we stop getting personal and not write things on here that we wouldn't say to someone's face. As for the Wolves game, getting anything from the game will be a great achievement. Let's, as Ipswich fans think positively and hope we can build on recent results and try to sneak into those play off places

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