Town boss Mick McCarthy doesn’t expect to see skipper Luke Chambers return to action this season with the central defender having dislocated a shoulder and fractured both a rib and his sternum during Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Brentford.

The Blues captain collided with keeper Bartosz Bialkowski in the first half and was forced to leave the field.

“I think he only dislocated his shoulder, fractured a rib and fractured his sternum, so he’ll probably be all right for Saturday!” McCarthy joked.

“I saw him today and he said, ‘Two weeks, gaffer’. So I said, ‘Yeah, OK, good luck with that one’.

“You know what he’s like, he’s been brilliant and certainly very, very durable but I don’t think we’ll be seeing him again, not after that, not this season anyway.”

McCarthy says Chambers, who was signed by his predecessor Paul Jewell, has been a fantastic servant for him during his five and a half years at the club.

“Wonderful, he’s a very a durable player, a really good defender and he played full-back as well for a long time,” he reflected.

“He took that and went and played there. That’s not his role and he’s enjoyed being at centre-back.

“He’s one of them that always manages to get some part of his body in the way of a shot or a cross or a header and he’s chipped in with his goals as well.

“But it’s not only his football, it’s his personality, his character around the place, both on and off the pitch which has been vital for us.”

McCarthy says Chambers is one of a number of players who are roll models for youngsters.

“We’ve got a few of those, Skusey, Waggy, Joe,” he added. “I saw Skusey the other day, a young lad was in the physio room and he goes in and he introduces himself and asks his name, ‘What’s your injury? How are you? Hope it’s OK’.

“That kind of very personal and empathetic touch, you don’t get that from first-teamers to a 12 or 13-year-old at too many places.”

McCarthy has said Chambers and Skuse both have what it takes to be managers and he says they will remain in touch once he leaves Portman Road.

“Forever, we will remain in contact,” he said. “It’s a boss and player relationship but I think it’ll be more of a friendship when I’ve left because I do get on very well with them.

“And if I can help them in any way, shape or form then I would. You don’t know who is going to make a good manager, do you, but he’s certainly got the personality I think to get players on side with him and get them playing for him.

“I see it with the lads, they all respect him, call him ‘Skip’ and look up to him.”

Photo: PagePix

MooseJuice added 17:37 - Apr 9 And therein lies the problem. Regardless of form, ability or suitability these two have played whenever available because they're your "friends". I'm not criticizing them in any way, but surely that isn't the way to manage a Championship football team?! That's Sunday morning stuff!
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Superfrans added 17:42 - Apr 9 Anyone who thinks Skuse and Chambers have played over 400 games between them for us just because they are close to McCarthy needs their head testing. Two of our most consistent performers over the past five years.
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MooseJuice added 17:49 - Apr 9 Superfrans, you honestly think we suffered through years of Chambers at right back because he was incredible at it and the best available??? As my post said, I'm not questioning either their heart/passion, but the insistance to shoehorn Chambers into a side when he's been playing poorly, and Skuse never once being subbed when we've clearly needed a goal or some attacking midfield play has been infuriating over the years.

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therein61 added 17:50 - Apr 9 Superfrans I agree with Chambers who has played out of position and at times been skinned by wingers and has struggled but kept going and is a true pro, as for the premiership class no/8 who has 4-5 decent games a season then that is where we will disagree(my opinion and I respect yours)
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braveblue added 19:01 - Apr 9 More idiotic talk.
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Steelmonkey added 20:16 - Apr 9 I don't blame Chambers for getting skinned on more than one occasion whilst having to play at right back, I blame the TOSSER who told him he had to play out of position and did very little actively to actually get an established full back in. But even at centre back his composure on the ball has sometimes been abysmal. Just hoofing it anywhere and not benefiting any town play. With MM having to have his captain in the side in form or out of form, it unbalanced us and ultimately lead to Tommy Smith being pushed out, injuries aside. How handy would it be now to have him still in the squad with Chambers and now Webster side-lined. Just another player allowed to walk out of the door, although no one has really come forward and said if the back injury he sustained was the ultimate reason for him leaving. Lets all hope that the shot shy Ipswich side who played at Brentford don't make an appearance at PR again this season.

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Swailsey added 20:39 - Apr 9 You news comment people are another breed.
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Karlosfandangal added 21:08 - Apr 9 A part of the games fans don't see and part of what makes a club
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SheptonMalletBlue added 22:09 - Apr 9 Well said steelmonkey!!!!!
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ArnieM added 22:18 - Apr 9 Smith was never good enough. League one at best In my humble opinion.
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Girty added 22:44 - Apr 9 Who will lead the team out tomorrow?
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KiwiBlue2 added 23:46 - Apr 9 will be lead out by the other 'proper bloke' Skusey or if he is not available 'Knudsey' ......... roll on the new managerial appointment, this is all getting very boring.......
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madmouse1959 added 02:14 - Apr 10 No one can question Chambers passion and fist-pumps. Looks ok in a 3 man central defence with 2 wing backs and 2 midfielders around him. Our defending has only been commendable at times because we have set up to defend and suffocate a game of football !!!. Other times our back line is all over the place and teams have practically walked the ball into our net. Our saving grace has been the goal keeper !!!!! Time to build another team from scratch without the MM favourtism .Roll on next season. We hope and pray for attacking football.

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Len_Brennan added 09:47 - Apr 10 MM keeps trying to make the point that he only lost the fans over the last 12-15 months, but in truth it began 4 years ago with his tactical/cost saving decision and subsequent pig-headedness around a guy who is : “Wonderful, he's a very a durable player, a really good defender and he played full-back as well for a long time,” he reflected. He took that and went and played there. That's not his role and he's enjoyed being at centre-back.” I was still on MM's side overall as manager at the time, but I couldn't get over his blindness to Chambo's short comings at full back. The fact that he doubled down on it and kept playing him there, despite (and at times because of) the fans opposition to it, was part of what made me get off the McCarthy train. As a short term fix to get us to the next transfer window would have been understandable, but to persist for so long was criminal. Like others, I have a lot of respect for Luke Chambers and I think he is a decent Championship level centre half. But he somewhat lost 3 seasons of his career, when in his prime, by being playing out of position. MM even recognises that Chambo didn't want to play full back & ultimately seems to have gotten guarantees about playing in the middle , when agreeing his new contract last year. Unfortunately, I think the 3 lost years at fullback have taken a toll on his abilities at centre half, as I believe he was a better defender 4+ years ago - although maybe he wasn't & I'm just being sentimental. The decision not to buy a proven right full back during that time, in order to try & show that he was right about Chambo (and that the fans were wrong), was the first real evidence of the defiant arrogance from MM, that became more & more commonplace as the years went on. I won't even get into rehashing the Jonny Parr arguments from the time. I would also argue that decision to rate Bart and Gerks as equals for so long, while the evidence was clearly in Bart's favour from early on, which many fans were crying out, helped drive a wedge between MM and the supporters which was ultimately unrepairable.

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Steelmonkey added 12:42 - Apr 10 Good comments Len Brennan👍🏻
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