Town boss Kieran McKenna has provided a positive injury update ahead of Saturday’s clash with Coventry City at Portman Road.

The Blues have been without Alex Palmer and Sammie Szmodics since late October, the pair having been withdrawn during the first half of home matches against Charlton Athletic and West Bromwich Albion respectively.

Goalkeeper Palmer is approaching a return from a calf injury, while McKenna confirmed that forward Szmodics is available for selection after undergoing minor knee surgery.

“Yes,” the Blues boss considered on Szmodics’s involvement. “With those type of knee injuries, it can go one way or the other. When it’s a meniscus, it can either be a quick one where they just remove the damaged cartilage or it takes a bit longer if it’s a repair.

“His was a very simple operation, we’ve had them before and turned them around even quicker than this one. He’s been through the right processes and he’s trained with the group this week and ready for some sort of involvement tomorrow.”

Regarding Palmer, McKenna added: “He trained with the group in the last two days but not going to be involved this weekend.”

Wes Burns has been out of action for Town since January after rupturing his ACL [anterior cruciate ligament], but was given minutes on the pitch for the Blues’ U21s last week.

The winger took a knock to his leg, which McKenna says it not too serious.

He said: “Hopefully not that long, but heavily bruised and a few different bits in the ankle just to smooth out. He’s not training with the group at the moment but hopefully he’ll be back training next week so not too big of a setback.”

McKenna also provided an update on the recovery of left-back Conor Townsend, who is out for the season after suffering the same knee injury as Burns on the eve of the current campaign.

“He’s doing really well,” the Town boss said. “He’s on track, what exactly the bandwidth for an injury like that could cross over between the end of this season or pre-season, so you can’t ever put a definite on it.

“But he’s on track to be into the spring to be back on the grass with his boots on. He’s doing really well.”

Photo: Matchday Images