Town boss Kieran McKenna has revealed forward Sammie Szmodics and defender Axel Tuanzebe are both set for surgery, while Cameron Burgess is being assessed ahead of Saturday’s trip to Crystal Palace, Kalvin Phillips, Omari Hutchinson and Julio Enciso could all be back in the squad, Christian Walton is expected to return, but Aro Muric is sidelined having had an injection.

Tuanzebe and Burgess were subbed at half-time during Monday night’s FA Cup tie at Nottingham Forest with hamstring and calf injuries respectively, while Szmodics and Conor Chaplin both missed out with recurrences of the ankle and knee injuries they suffered at the turn of the year, while McKenna said afterwards one or two others ended the game with knocks.

“It's probably a long story, to be fair,” the Blues manager said when asked about the injury situation from Monday. “We're still in the process of assessing some.

“In terms of those who went off the pitch, Axel won't be available this weekend and Cameron Burgess is still being assessed.
 
“We have one or two who may be able to rejoin the squad who weren't available on Monday night, and we'll have one or two who were there on Monday night who won't be available. And we've got a few who are still getting assessed tomorrow. 
 
“It's certainly a bit of a tricky period for us at the moment. There's plenty going on and we're trying to make the right decisions and get a competitive squad available for Saturday.”

Tuanzebe’s hamstring injury isn’t as serious as the one he suffered earlier in the season, also at the City Ground, but the Blues will take the opportunity of the DR Congo international not being available for him to have another op on the hand he badly cut while washing up towards the start of the campaign.
 
“I don't think it's as bad as the last time,” McKenna added. “He has a small muscle injury. He also needs an operation on his thumb from the injury that he had the last time, so he's going to receive an operation in the next couple of days on the thumb.

“So between that, which is going to take a period of recovery, and the muscle injury he has, he won't be available this weekend, and we'll make assessments from there.”

Better news is that on-loan Brighton forward Enciso and key attacker Hutchinson could also be back.
  
“Julio and Omari are not too far away from the squad, but it's going to be a real decision whether there's any involvement this weekend,” McKenna continued.
 
“Conor Chaplin is still working by himself. Sam Szmodics is going for an ankle operation, unfortunately, so he's going to be out for an extended period of time for a recurrence of the injury that he's had. 
 
“Honestly, it's a real mixed bag and we've got some who are working on the grass with rehabilitation coaches, some are just starting to integrate with the team and some are not there yet. 
 
“Sam joins the list of players who you know aren't going to see too much of this season, so it's a real mixed bag in the group at the moment.
 
“Kalvin Phillips [who had been out with a calf problem suffered in the Spurs match] trained today, so he's in a better place again, we make the judgment on how he is going into Saturday.”

Pressed on how lengthy Szmodics’s absence might be, he added: “It’s going to be a significant period. It’s an ankle injury he originally picked up with a tackle in the Fulham game and had a recurrence of it in the Coventry game and then he had a recurrence of it just after the Man United game.

“He’s going to be out for, I don’t know the exact timescale, but it’s certainly going to be a good number of weeks and if we see him this season, it will be in the last couple of fixtures.

“We’re hopeful that we’ll see him before the end of the season, but the exact timescale we can’t be sure.”

Keeper Walton, who has been out since the Liverpool match with a groin injury, looks set to be back on the bench at Selhurst Park, while Muric is now out of action having been involved in squads despite having a shoulder issue.

“Christian’s going to be in the squad this weekend, hopefully,” McKenna said. “On the list of things, Aro has had an injection in his shoulder. He’s done really well to be available for the team over the last couple of weeks, he’s been carrying a shoulder injury and he’s made himself available for the bench if we needed him to play.

“But it’s got to the point where he needed to get it addressed, so he’s had an injection in his shoulder, so he won’t be available for this weekend and if Christian gets through the next 48 hours, he’ll come back into the squad.”

Quizzed on why he believes Town have suffered quite so many injuries this season, he reflected: “I think on the why, there's never one reason. There's always going to be a multitude of them, not all of them we'll reflect or share publicly but, of course, we'll do that internally. 
 
“I think there are a lot of different factors. Always in football, you have a run of injuries and luck plays a part in it we've had maybe one/two in the last three and a half years. 
 
“I remember in my first full season in League One, a period in the autumn time where we had seven, eight, nine, ten injuries and we didn't work any different than we did the six months previous or the two years.
 
“I think a lot of injuries at the moment, Wes Burns, Chiedozie Ogbene, they’re really injuries that no one's really got a crystal ball for, achilles injuries and cruciates. If anyone did, they wouldn't happen because they're the most serious injuries almost in football now. 
 
“Sam Szmodics is the tackle and Omari Hutchinson is missing from a tackle, Conor Chaplin is an innocuous injury from his knee blocking a shot. We've had quite a lot of injuries like that.

“We haven't had a very high proportion of muscle injuries which are ones that you always reflect on a little bit more to see is there and that can be adapted. 
 
“We've adapted the training schedule as the season went on, as we always do, to work at an appropriate level. We've had some unlucky ones, like an Axel one
 
“I think it's a multitude of different things, but I also think the reality is that we're competing in the most physical league in the world. We've got very, very few players who've competed at this level in recent ever or for a lot of games in recent times. 
 
“If you come into a season with that as the make up of your group and the group works very hard and competes every week as they do, then that's also a factor and you're probably going to pick up more injuries than you have playing at levels that the players have competed at previously. 
 
“There are a lot of different factors and, of course, it's made it more of a challenge. We'll always reflect on things that we can change and that we can improve, which I'm sure there are a few.

“But I also think there are a lot of different factors that we're not in control of and it's about making the best of the situation which I think many times this season the group has done, and we're going to have to do it between now and the end of the season as well.”

Photo: Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra

ImAbeliever added 15:05 - Mar 6 I’m available if needed.
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OldFart71 added 15:06 - Mar 6 I don't know what it is with players today they get far fewer games to play, far less heavy pitches to encounter and yet so many bad injuries. Perhaps it's actually this rotation thing and players coming on with 20 minutes to go that is the problem as in the Premier League they get fewer matches than the Championship and Cup games are usually played by those that are in the squad as subs or not getting regular game time.

4

Alphawhiskey added 15:06 - Mar 6 Not good then.... I wish them all speedy recoveries. Hopefully we have the minerals to get the wins and points to keep us in this league. Time will tell. COYB!
2

Suffolkboy added 15:09 - Mar 6 Just how fortunate are we to have in charge a Manager of such depth of experience ,and the stoic philosophy to consistently lead and never ‘complain’ about misfortune or injuries inflicted by ill constructed tackles ! The ITFC team ,top to bottom, display fortitude and character and demonstrate their total dedication to the cause , putting in some sterling efforts ! Well done ,everyone ! COYB

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Gforce added 15:14 - Mar 6 Whatever league we happen to be in next season, we have to finally sign a quality right back,preferably one who relatively injury free.
3

bringmeaKuqi added 15:28 - Mar 6 I'd feel fine with O'Shea, Woolfenden, Greaves and Townsend at the back this weekend. Tuanzebe is a loss, but we still looked solid with that back four without him. His pace is missing, so Hutchinson would be a big plus if he could come back on the right
3

CamposBarnet added 15:31 - Mar 6 No Axel no party! He for me is arguably the most significant. Speedy recovery boys. Lets hope you are all back on the field soon.
1

rgp1 added 15:43 - Mar 6 At this rate of injuries we'll need a field hospital and the Red Cross!
2

trevski_s added 15:48 - Mar 6 Shame to hear about so many out but I still feel like we can push for a good game against Palace. I have a feeling line-up will be (providing the ones to be assessed will be okay): Palmer O Shea, Woofly, Greaves, Townsend Cajuste, Phillips Hutchinson, Broady, Enciso Delap Bench: Walton, Johnson, Burgess, Davis, Jaden, Taylor, Clarke, Morsy, Hirst
1

Lion added 16:01 - Mar 6 I can't believe that Axel is injured again, he is by far our best rb, just wish we could keep him fit!
2

ArnieM added 16:29 - Mar 6 And so our ridiculous injury list goes on thus season. You can effectively say that's the pair of them done for the season now, and how many games have they actually played??
2

Carberry added 16:36 - Mar 6 I will say it again, Bristol City fans warned us about this.
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grow_our_own added 16:44 - Mar 6 In Axel's absence (along with Burns & Ogbene), our RB & RWB position is extremely weak. Recall Harry Clarke from Sheff Utd. He's our next best in those positions.
0

Hatman2 added 17:35 - Mar 6 @Carberry, what did those Bristol City fans warn us about…, if we’re not careful, that Mark Ashton might take us from League One to the Premier League with successive promotions?!
4

PortmanTerrorist added 17:44 - Mar 6 Hate some of the idiotic comments on here today about injuries. Spare a thought for those players out right now, whose dream it was to play at this level, who have had to sit out game after game. As a Club we are too strong and united again to not come again in whichever League, but for some players this may have been their lifetime moment...and it sucks. Hope who does pull on the shirt on Saturday does so with all those guys in their mind and let's go get a result. COYB

1

blueboy1981 added 18:20 - Mar 6 What did I predict ? - as the Team stops Winning, and it struggles, the Treatment Room gets busier - it happens at most, if not every Club. It’s the Nature of the Beast. We are not the only Football Club that HAVE injuries to Players to contend with by any means, but some people continuously and every season ‘harp on’ about OUR Injury List. It’s not Specific to Us remember - so lets not keep hearing it in the what/ If/ only tense - because it becomes a excuse all too often. It is what it is - for ALL Clubs.

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Nutkins_Return added 18:25 - Mar 6 I think if people actually read the article then apart from Sammie it's mostly positive updates. Tuanzebe op is not his hammie, it's just his hand and taking the opportunity. His injury is less serious and back soon. Omari and Enciso very close. Philips back training. Chaplin doesn't sound miles off. The only unknown is who might miss out who picked up knocks against Forest. Sounded less long term either way.

2

Carberry added 19:30 - Mar 6 ... and back down again, Hatman.
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Bluewhiteboy added 20:39 - Mar 6 Gutted for szmodz. Think part from delap best attacking player by a mile
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blues1 added 23:15 - Mar 6 Carberry. Again, try reading the story before commenting. Mckenna clearly states that the majority of our injuries have come from tackles. And weve only had a few muscle injuries. Had qwxhad loads of those type of injuries, then you may have a point. Clearly tho, thats not the case.
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blues1 added 00:25 - Mar 7 Blues1. Oh, and btw, ur assumption is that this is down to Andy Rolls? So how come we haven't had such an issue in lge1 and the championship, since he joined the club in May 2021?
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 06:16 - Mar 7 Axel is a big miss. Very solid at RB. I wish him and all the other wounded speedy recoveries. We need them all.
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Carberry added 15:10 - Mar 7 “I think on the why, there's never one reason. There's always going to be a multitude of them, not all of them we'll reflect or share publicly but, of course, we'll do that internally. Blues1, there's something going on isn't there, you don't read the report carefully do you?
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