Winger Keanan Bennetts will be out for a few weeks with the groin injury he suffered against Burton Albion on Tuesday. Manager Paul Lambert says he will again have to "dip into the younger age group" when the Blues travel to Peterborough on Saturday.

Asked whether the on-loan Borussia Mönchengladbach man, who scored his first senior goal against the Brewers, would be fit for the trip to face Posh, Lambert said: “He’ll miss it, he’s got a little groin problem. It’s just another one. It’ll surprise me when we don’t get an injury, I think that’s the best way to look at it now.

“It’s a crazy time at the minute. But, as I say, we’re two points off the top, we’re really, really under-resourced at the minute injury-wise, so I’m happy on that aspect, happy with the way we’re fighting, which is good. As I said before, we just need to get those guys back fit.”

Lambert says the former Tottenham youngster is set to miss a number of games: “No, he won’t be back for that, I think he’ll be a few weeks.”

The Blues boss says the 21-year-old has added something to his side and has got better the more he has played.

“Speed, he’s really dynamic and he’s not played a lot of games for Gladbach, but he’s got speed and he’s dynamic, which I think is evident when you look at explosive players,” he said.

“I think he’s done well, the more minutes he’s got under his belt, he’s started to do well and it’s just unfortunate what’s happened, really, really unfortunate because the more Keanan plays, the better he becomes and he’s definitely explosive.”

Bennetts said last week he was getting nearer to the top of his game.

“That’s what it felt like," Lambert concurred. "I think that was evident with the way he’d been playing.

“Even against Plymouth when he came on I thought he changed the dynamic of the game. I thought that was a good moment for him as well. The more game time he was getting, the better he was becoming.”

Midfielder Jon Nolan suffered a knock in the Portsmouth game and missed Burton’s visit as a result and will again be absent at the weekend.

“He’s doing OK, but this one will be too early for him,” he said. “I don’t know how he is either, we just need to monitor them, so we’ll probably need to dip into the younger age group again, I think.”

Lambert says no one else is struggling after Tuesday: “Not as such, we have to wait and see where we’re at.”

Regarding playing youngsters such as Armando Dobra, Brett McGavin and Liam Gibbs, Lambert added: “I think I said last week, I had to be brave enough to throw them in, to give them an opportunity, which I’ve done.

“I think long term, although you take the short-term hit, long term it’s going to be really good for them and be really good for the club because they’re getting the game time.

“That’s where the bravery comes in and you have to be brave to throw a young player in, and I think everybody knows now that I’m not frightened to do it.”

Quizzed on the chances of other players returning over the Christmas period, Lambert said: “Freddie Sears has just back, he started at the tail end of last week and a little bit this week.

“He’s just come back from a really strenuous hamstring problem, so we’ve got to really watch him, that he doesn’t pull up and doesn’t do any more damage. He’s doing OK, Freddie.

“Gwion Edwards [hamstring] isn’t ready at all. At the minute, do we have anybody coming back? I’d probably say no.”

Teddy Bishop (ankle), James Norwood (hamstring), James Wilson (knee), Cole Skuse (knee) and Flynn Downes (knee) are still sidelined, while Kane Vincent-Young (achilles) and Tristan Nydam (ankle) are both training but not yet ready for a return.

Edwards and Bishop were both on target regularly in the early stages of the season and Lambert was asked if their attacking threat has been missed.

“I think when you look at it, you can go through all those lads, right through the team, Edwards, Sears, Drinan has been out, Norwood’s been out, Jackson’s been out, there have been times when we’ve played with no centre forward,” he said. “Skusey’s been out, Downes, Bishop, Dozzell’s missed a good chunk, James Wilson.

“They’ve all missed massive chunks of the season and that’s why where we’re sitting in the table is a pleasing thing. We’re two points off it with unbelievable problems.

“I’ve never known anything like this. As I said before, I’m surprised when I come in and there’s not somebody pulled up.

“Every day I have to get my head round it thinking that somebody’s going to be injured or not feeling good.”

One piece of good news is that Kayden Jackson is OK despite having limped off on Tuesday: “He just got a little knock on his hip but he’s OK, he’s fine.”

Given the injuries, he’s proud of what his players have achieved to be fifth, level with the three sides above them and only two points off the top.

“I think that’s been overlooked,” he said. “I am proud of them and how happy I am with their fighting, and I’m talking about experienced guys here, talking about the all guys all mucking in and really, really giving it everything.

“Should they be where they are? Probably not with the team we’ve got at the minute, but they are, they’re sitting two points off it with just pure endeavour.

“We might not have won every game, we might not play great every game until we get everybody back, then we become really, really strong.

“At the minute, I’m proud of them and how they’ve battled away for us. I can’t give them any more praise.”

Photo: Matchday Images

oioihardy added 10:34 - Dec 18 I said it ages ago and ill say it again ..... sack all the fitness and sports science/ recovery team and hire new ones ..... this is beyond a joke ...... Guarantee this comment will get hate but they need to be more ruthless like this or we wont see any changes to the injuries that keep happening
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Esseeja added 10:40 - Dec 18 Do we have any actual fitness coaches anymore or sports scientists? do we only have like 3 physio members? Why do we have such a crisis?
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Esseeja added 10:40 - Dec 18 Do we have any actual fitness coaches anymore or sports scientists? do we only have like 3 physio members? Why do we have such a crisis?
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ArnieM added 10:41 - Dec 18 I've also been saying for a few years now that there's some it right at this Club regarding our incidences of injury. They also need to review again, the extrinsic factors. Training kit, playing surfaces, training intensities, frequency, loading, res5 periods these too also contribute to injuries. It is a science driven sport, are ITFC up to speed with the evidence based practice in the game? I'd suggest not.

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Razor added 10:45 - Dec 18 Well it gives Lambert a convenient excuse for incompetence-----how he can admit publicly he does not know how one of his injured players is is breathtaking------he should be monitoring them on a daily basis. Poor old Bennetts----little did he know!!
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MrJase_79 added 10:45 - Dec 18 This is just insane. The guy gets in the team, starts playing well, scores .... immediately injured. What is going on? I just don't understand it.
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Suffolkboy added 10:47 - Dec 18 It's only too easy to let disappointment and despair drastically colour one's view and opinions ; it's a sad fact that ITFC have too many suffering injury problems right now ,but ,just like C19, actually pinning down the root causes is improbably difficult ! For several years now we've had a team who have looked fit and athletic ,but certainly not carried the physical presence and threat which that brings ,nor the resilience which it might afford . At a time when training and fitness regimes are and have been much restricted , yet week in week out football demands are perhaps more intense than at any time any one of us can remember , empathy , understanding and encouragement is what we as supporters can provide ! So COYB , fight on and find a way !

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bugblatter added 10:55 - Dec 18
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blue_enough added 11:12 - Dec 18 We didn't beat good teams with a fit squad though Paul? The only really really really unbelievable thing - is not our position in the league, or our 'good' performances but the arrogance this man shows.
0

ghostofescobar added 11:29 - Dec 18 “I think I said last week, I had to be brave enough to throw them in, to give them an opportunity, which I've done............That's where the bravery comes in and you have to be brave to throw a young player in, and I think everybody knows now that I'm not frightened to do it.” That is called taking praise for something you didn't strictly do. You weren't "brave", you had zero choice in the matter. Being "brave" is changing tactics, formations etc. Being "brave" is taking it on the chin and admitting that Town have played nothing like decent football since you got here, other than a brief spell at the beginning of last season and the same this season. Being "brave" is not treating us like idiots and coming out says how brilliantly the boys have been virtually every game. Being "brave" is admitting it just hasn't been good enough.

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Bluespeed added 11:38 - Dec 18 I'm just wondering 🤔are we fifth 2 points off top ? I don't think our Big club manager has mentioned it much since Tuesday, wait until we have all played the same amount of games then crow Mr Lambert !!
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trncbluearmy added 11:50 - Dec 18 Recently two players have been sent out not fit,Norwood and Nolan both broke down, and that is what we can see, Lord knows what goes on behind the scenes the cost cutting, Evans fault, and poor judgement has lead to what can only be described as a dereliction of care, surprised we have not been invistagated by the FA
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MonkeyAlan added 11:59 - Dec 18 The more injuries, the more excuses Lambert has for the teams failures. It plays into his hands. Joke rehab people at the club, joke manager, joke owner.
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Cheshire_Blue added 12:02 - Dec 18 So many experts, so little knowledge.
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spanishblue added 12:12 - Dec 18 Liverpool the best team in the land how many injuries
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trncbluearmy added 12:14 - Dec 18 You don't have to be an expert just look, could also add Bennets and Bish both being made to play on when obviously injured.
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Cloddyseedbed added 12:19 - Dec 18 It's the same players with poor injury records either here or before they arrive who can't put a run in the team together. Our recruitment policy of signing players who are returning from layoffs or poor injury history has to change. I know all clubs are suffering from injury problems this year throughout all the leagues, but the same ole names keep coming up time after time. Is it their bodies or our methods.

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PortmanTerrorist added 12:35 - Dec 18 We all know we would get better performances with a fully fit squad, goes without saying (repeatedly). However, our first 11 every week has been entirely credible for this league, but our lack of playing patterns and sometimes of hunger can never be accepted. There was clearly something of a reaction on Tuesday, at least in terms of hunger, but we have to stop putting down those that are playing....just do not see how that helps morale. PL can talk about players coming back, but we all know that based on our recent history there is a good chance that those that are fit now may be what we have to work with for the season....if we are lucky. That is not pessimism, that is a hard reality. Let's get behind the boys, and [PL] trust them to play front foot football and give them some patterns to work with just as you did early season with our injured (alleged) 1st string !

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bingboast added 17:30 - Dec 18 Is sick note McColdrick telling us something?? since he left his record of playing regularly & scoring, how, why? hes not the only one who when they move on their injuries are left at PR !!!
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grow_our_own added 18:25 - Dec 18 Where do the players live? Perhaps that Ipswich is relatively rural doesn't help as players have to drive long distances tofrom training. Being sedentary while driving won't combine well with intensive exercise at training. Prob worsened by the fact they aren't allowed to car share at the moment. Were players more local in prior eras? Glad the Posh game was postponed. I'd like all games to be postponed for the next couple of months to get our best players back

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Westy added 18:28 - Dec 18 Why am I not surprised.
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therein61 added 17:03 - Dec 19 There is something very very wrong behind the scenes at our club starting at the training ground with the routines they undertake that do not cover all aspects of the body whilst in motion also that players are struggling on the park suggests they are not fit enough the coaching has to be seriously looked at BIG TIME.
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