Martijn Reuser is Joe Royle's only new injury worry ahead of Saturday's visit to Gillingham. The Dutchman has missed training on Thursday due to a blow to his foot sustained in the Reading game which he aggravated during the 2-2 draw with Brighton.

The injury has been scanned and there is no broken bone and Reuser will be assessed on Friday. Tommy Miller is OK after his hamstring and tendinitis injuries and he has trained this week.

Town's long-term injured, John McGreal and Mark Venus, still look to be out of action for most of the rest of the season despite both doing some light training today.

There is better news on Finidi George and Alun Armstrong who are both close to a return. Finidi, suffering with a hip problem of late, has trained with Fitness Coach Simon Thadani and is said to be two-to-three weeks away from a game.

Armstrong, out of plaster earlier in the week, is still recovering from his broken wrist and is also back in training. He has been pencilled in for the reserve game away to Tottenham on Monday.

At Gillingham Joe Royle will be without Matt Holland, the skipper missing his first league game with the Blues since his move to Suffolk from Bournemouth in the summer of 1997. His call-up for Ireland ends his run at 253 consecutive league games. Royle has made no decision on who will captain in Holland's absence.

He says Holland will be a loss: “He's a big influence, he's been terrific wherever he's played for us this year and we will miss him. Against that Tommy Miller is fit again and he's had a little bit of a run-out last week and he will come into the team.”

Other than Miller coming into the side in place of Holland it looks as is the Blues will be largely unchanged from the team which drew with Brighton. Darren Bent may come in for Pablo Couñago who has been less effective away from home all season, scoring only one goal.

If Martijn Reuser is ruled out by his foot problem then there could be a first start for young Ian Westlake after an impressive sub appearance at Sheffield Wednesday recently. Royle could also field Matt Richards should the former Dutch international be on the sidelines.

It's been another trying week at Portman Road with the departures of Hermann Hreidarsson and Darren Ambrose. However, the Town manager says this hasn't affected his players too much: “They've been good. They don't tend to vary too much. They might have a natter in the dressing room about things but when they are out there with the ball their enthusiasm has been great.

“They've trained ever-so-well this morning, no complaints at all, they just get on with it. They realise the situation, I think there's a certain amount of relief that the deadline will have passed today and they are not having to tell their wives to ‘pack the cases, we're off'. They've been fine.

“I would never use that as an excuse, we've had... turmoil would be an overstatement, but we've certainly had a lot of uncertainty about the place in recent weeks but they've just got on with it.”

Royle says that although today is deadline day players could still leave but would be unable to play for their new clubs this season. However, he doesn't expect this: “That could still happen but I think it's unlikely. When Hermann goes through I imagine it will be the last one.”

The Town boss says that with seven games to go his side is not out of the play-off fight: “The whole season can change dramatically in seven games. You look at Burnley, four games ago they had games in hand which were going to take them into the top six. Stan's now talking about finishing in the top half; it can happen that quickly.

“If we win four out of five, and we've got to do something like that, we'll see where that takes us. But I'm not going to say the season's over with six games left and I'm certainly not going to say that we're definitely going to finish in the top six because of three points. I know it doesn't make a great headline but it will go to the end.

Royle is hoping for a display similar to the one at Norwich early in the month: “We've got to go and win. We went to Norwich and won when we had to, we've gone to Sheffield Wednesday and won when they were in a good run. Quite honestly away from home we're a little bit better generally, we find it a little bit easier.

“It's a hard game any time going to the Priestfield Stadium, I know that. They got a good result at Sheffield in the week, but it's up to us, it's always been up to us. There are no excuses if we don't make it, we've had chances. I think we should be in the top six now even starting from where we did. We're not but we've still got seven games left.”

Town watched both Gillingham's last two games, one a 6-0 thrashing at Wolves and the other the 2-2 draw with Sheffield United in midweek. The Town boss felt the Wolves result was a bit of a fluke: “It was slightly surreal for them in that everything flew in. Six was a little bit hard on them even though Andy Hessenthaler said it was their worst performance for some time.”

Royle, who won at Priestfield while Manchester City manager, says that their performance against Sheffield United is more indicative of their true abilities.

The pitch at Gillingham is said to be the worst in the division but Royle says his side will continue to play their passing game regardless.

Gillingham are without Jason Brown who is away with the Wales U21s and Marmady Sidebe who is in action with Mali. They have failed to sign Wolves defender Ludovic Pollet on loan.

Probable Town squad: D Bent, M Bent, Bowditch, Couñago, Gaardsøe, Holland, Makin, Magilton, Marshall, Miller, Naylor, Pullen, Reuser, Richards, Westlake, Wilnis and Wright.

Photo: Action Images

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