Town boss Kieran McKenna hopes Sammie Szmodics and Sindre Walle Egeli will be available for the next block of games, which starts with Friday’s visit to Middlesbrough, despite pulling out of their international squads.

Szmodics dropped out of the Republic of Ireland party, while Walle Egeli was unavailable for Norway’s U21s.

Quizzed on the former Colchester man’s issue, McKenna confirmed it related to the injury on which he had surgery earlier in the year.

“Yeah, it’s his ankle again,” he said. “Hopefully it has recovered well. He needed a course of injections after the Norwich game to hopefully ease the symptoms that he’s been feeling over the weeks.
 
“He needed some time off his feet, some time away from the group training and some treatment. He’s had a course of injections in there and that seems to have worked pretty well. He’s due to train now this afternoon with the group.
 
“Hopefully, the time he’s had off his feet and to rest and get what he needed will put him in better stead, and he’ll be ready for the block of games ahead.”

Regarding Walle Sindre, he added: “It’s similar but different, but similar in terms of an injury picked up in the Bristol City game.

“He had really heavy swelling after the Norwich game around his ankle area from the existing injury. It sort of exacerbated it in the game, so he needed last week off his feet. 
 
“He got some treatment and didn’t do any training. He joined in with the group again this week and is feeling better with it, so hopefully he’ll be involved now in this block of games.”

Regarding Harry Clarke, who recently returned to action in the U21s following a knee problem suffered in pre-season, McKenna added: “Harry’s okay, Harry’s been training with the group. He’s got to compete now to try and work his way into the group, but he’s training well, so that’s a positive. Played some minutes last week.”

Winger Wes Burns is continuing his rehabilitation after the ACL injury he suffered at Liverpool in January.
 
“Wes has started to integrate a little bit with the group for some non-contact training, so that’s been a big boost to everyone. So, starting to feel his presence around the group now in certain bits of the session,” he said.
 
“Over the next few weeks, hopefully, he’ll start to build that up to more contact training and things that are more match-real. 
 
“If that all goes well, it’s pointing in the right direction and hopefully, by after the next international break, he’ll be properly reintegrated into the group.”

Regarding those who have been away on international duty, McKenna smiled: “I'll tell you when they're all back. The players are in this afternoon. Obviously, the Irish boys were involved in the game last night.
 
“It’s a late report today and they’ll be in this afternoon, and we’ll check in on them then.
 
“Marcelino [Nunez] got back from his long travels, so hopefully by one o’clock today, we’ll have everyone back together in the room for the first time since the last game, and a quick turnaround to Friday night.”

McKenna says the international break has been useful period for those who remained behind, not least to recover from bumps and bruises from the 3-1 derby victory over Norwich City.

“It’s never as complete in terms of squad togetherness because you haven’t got the whole squad here, and obviously when you don’t have the captain here and things like that,” he added.
 
“We had quite a few knocks and issues after the Norwich game, to be honest, so probably quite a few of the boys who played in that game needed treatments and time off their feet last week. 
 
“But it’s given us some time with some individuals to work a little bit more specific on the grass, work on some relationships on the training pitch. 
 
“We had some 11-v-11 last week as well, got some match minutes into those who needed it, so it’s been a productive spell.
 
“I think more on an individual basis than on a team basis. Now it’s about coming together really, really quickly and trying to get our minds back to the right place and on the task at hand and being ready for Friday night.”

Regarding the behind-closed-doors friendly, McKenna wouldn’t give any further details.

“I always prefer keeping these in-house, to be honest,” he added. “Other teams like to put the result out when they win and say nothing when they lose We’re the opposite, so we’ll just keep it schtum anyway.

“We had a good 11 versus 11, it was useful. All the boys who hadn’t had minutes lately got minutes and everyone came through it well.”

Photo: Matchday Images