Town boss Kieran McKenna hopes to have one player back from illness or injury for New Year’s Day’s trip to Stoke City, while skipper Sam Morsy will return from his one-match ban

During Friday’s 0-0 home draw with QPR, the Blues were without George Hirst, who looks to be out for a while with a hamstring injury, Leif Davis, who has a minor calf problem, and Wes Burns and Nathan Broadhead, who were among a number of players and staff to have picked up an illness, the latter having been sick in the warm-up after being named in the initial XI.

“We’re sort of still in the process of assessing, to be honest,” McKenna told TownTV when asked whether there had been any progress on the fitness and health front.

“We not had too much time since then, we’ve got a training session this morning and we’ll have to see how some players are.

“We certainly won’t have everyone back, we’ll have maybe one from the other night, hopefully.

“We’ll see how they are today. It’s one where we’ll have to take the decision on the morning of the game.”

Asked whether there is anything the club can do to prevent the spread of the illness bug, McKenna added: “We have protocols and since Covid clubs have a lot more familiarity with how to limit the spread of viruses and things like that, so we’ll take as much precaution as we can and travel as separated and spaced as we can and things like that.

“But other than that, just fingers crossed that everyone comes through the next 24 hours healthy and well and we’re ready to go for tomorrow.”

One positive ahead of tomorrow’s match is the return of Morsy, who was suspended for one match for Friday’s match.

Young striker Gerrard Buabo made his league debut as a sub late on in the QPR match but McKenna says the 18-year-old, who has been out with a recurrent hamstring problem, isn’t ready for greater involvement at this stage.

“As I said after the game, it was great to get him on the pitch to see him play,” McKenna said. “But medically he’s not there yet.

“There was a big discussion internally whether he could do five minutes plus extra and that was the maximum, really. He needs to build himself up.

“Is it possible that he could play a similar sort of time as he did the other night over the next couple of weeks? Possibly, but he’s still in the reintegration process from a really big injury and he’s a player we really like so we need to be careful with him.”

Photo: TWTD

blueboy1981 added 11:07 - Dec 31 I can only assume that all Clubs have the same problems !!
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Marcus added 11:19 - Dec 31 Hunker down with what we've got and hope for the best! At least Morsy can boss the midfield more.
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 11:25 - Dec 31 blueboy1981: Why would you assume that? It's by no means certain other clubs have a bug going round the squad. Some might, but some might not. Whatever the case, we'll just have to make the best of it.
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Suffolkboy added 11:30 - Dec 31 Once again the intelligent monitoring ,measuring and testing of our players ,followed by the essential priorities for ‘ guaranteeing ‘ a controlled return to full physical fitness are well in evidence ! In our principled approach ,and united strategy we should be totally supportive ! COYB
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dirtydingusmagee added 11:41 - Dec 31 it was never going to be a smooth cruise through the season, we are having a rough ride at moment but we had a cushion . Hopefully we will be back on track again soon. and regain some lost ground. COYB
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Saxonblue74 added 11:57 - Dec 31 A minor bump in an excellent season, whatever happens from hereon in. Let's face it, a handful of points sees us securely in a playoff place. Who wouldn't have taken that as a "worst case scenario" at the turn of the year? We're in a great place as a club and an attractive proposition for potential new signings. Bring on 2024 and let's keep perspective rather than Knee jerk reactions to minor negatives.

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TimmyH added 12:00 - Dec 31 So Broadhead has an illness, we were told he broke down in training...not the first time he's picked up an 'illness' this season. Sadly Morsy can't carry the whole team.
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Horsham added 12:05 - Dec 31 TimmyH he was throwing his guts up before the game. So yeah he was ‘ill’
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Saxonblue74 added 12:09 - Dec 31 What's your point Timmy?
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TimmyH added 12:19 - Dec 31 The point Saxonblue74 - the term 'broke down' is not normally attributed to illness, usually to an injury - that's my point. Either way looks like he won't be playing, amazing how these illnesses/injuries have happened at once - partly due to the time of year and run of games I guess.
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gosblue added 12:23 - Dec 31 I know what Blueboy is trying to say. The whole division will have played four games in nine days or so. It just shows that the EFL has a complete disregard for players’ welfare. Let’s get through this period and the FA Cup next week, maybe a training break away from Suffolk for the walking wounded. then we can go again. I don’t see any reason why we can’t repeat the first half of the season. COYB

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Saxonblue74 added 12:42 - Dec 31 My apologies TimmyH, just with the accent on illness and the comment about not being the first time it came across as you’d seen something suspicious about the whole scenario!
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TimmyH added 13:01 - Dec 31 Fair play - Saxon. Broadhead does seem to pick up bugs though, I remember him missing a game due to illness I think in November (Rotherham game). I'm sure the club has very good measures regarding nutrition/vitamins and diet particularly what the body endures at this time of year.
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johnwarksshorts added 13:24 - Dec 31 To be fair, up to this point we've been lucky with injuries and illness. It's always going to happen at some stage. Hopefully we have a good January transfer window. We will certainly be a more attractive proposition for players to come here.
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Bert added 13:43 - Dec 31 It was the media who said Broadhead broke down in the warm up. The club said he vomited in the dressing room. No matter, the club has hit a bump in the road through injury and illness so we should be patient and not expect a Leicester type performance every week when the chips are down. Other clubs will have their own problems but ours all came at once.
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VanDusen added 13:49 - Dec 31 May be the day for some McCarthy tactics until the cavalry (hopefully) arrives in a fortnight. I certainly would take a point tomorrow...
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blues1 added 13:58 - Dec 31 Tummyh. But they never said broadhead broke down in training. They said he was vomiting in the changing room.
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Saxonblue74 added 15:00 - Dec 31 Gosblue, understand your point about player welfare, but surely that's down to the club? With greater squad sizes and more permitted subs than ever before there is opportunity to rest players. As fans we put pressure on to field our superstars in every game and are quick to complain if changes result in a poor performance but there's a duty of care toward all our playing staff. That in reality is the difference between a club newly promoted from lge1 and the 3 clubs we're competing with who are newly relegated from the prem. We're strong enough to drop in a couple of changes but unlike our direct competitors unable to make wholesale changes and still compete at the top.

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BlueBoots added 15:22 - Dec 31 Grind out a point (anything more would be a bonus) tomorrow, regroup and get some minutes into the legs of squad players in the cup on Saturday (rest or don't take any chances with our key players), and then a whole week for the squad to recover and train to try to get close to full strength for the home game against Sunderland. Transfer window will have been open for 2 weeks by then, so may even have reinforcements through the door to help us kick on....

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blueboy1981 added 15:55 - Dec 31 TimmyH - you know it’s forbidden to question anything where some Supporters are concerned - but you are absolutely right ! At ALL levels of the Game, players have to WANT to play over the Christmas / New Year period. Fact is - some DO, and some DON’T ….. !!!
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Dozzells_Bobblehat added 16:54 - Dec 31 Its also a fact that putting some words in CAPITALS doesn't make you RIGHT.
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Europablue added 17:14 - Dec 31 I don't think some people understand elite sport. The margins are so fine that one player feeling under the weather would make it better to play most other players in their place.
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TimmyH added 18:14 - Dec 31 blues1 who said? I haven't seen anything rom the club pre- QPR warm-up that said he was vomiting - check TWTD 'Late change for Town' (which I was on at the time or are you questioning this website?)
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blueboy1981 added 20:57 - Dec 31 Bobblehat - I’ve marked you up, because for once you are Right, but however deluded you are - you cannot change or deny Fact ! It’s been campaigned previously to cancel all Football Fixtures over Christmas/New Year - obviously without success, for obvious reasons.
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eddiespearitt03 added 01:51 - Jan 1 Praying for a win at Stoke and beating Wimbledon in the FA Cup. Then the signing of a class act front man and another defender.
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