Skipper Jim Magilton looks certain to miss Town's trip to Cardiff City after his calf injury was shown to be tear. The Northern Irishman picked up the injury during the 6-0 demolition of Nottingham Forest om Saturday.

Town physio Dave Williams says the club captain looks very unlikely to face the Bluebirds: "Jim has a small tear the size of a centimetre on the inside of his calf.

"It's settling down well but is still swollen and his chances of playing on Tuesday night are very slim.

"You never know with Jim though, but I would say he's more likely to be in a race for fitness for Saturday's game at Gillingham rather than tomorrow night."

Town manager Joe Royle has called French loanee Jimmy Juan into his squad for the first time as cover, but the Monaco man won't be considered for a starting place even if the veteran skipper fails to make it.

Royle says Juan isn't fit enough for anything more than a position on the bench at present, with Kevin Horlock or perhaps Darren Currie the likely replacement for Magilton.

Other than the captain's possible absence, the Blues will be unchanged from the side which demolished Gary Megson's men at the weekend. Richard Naylor and Shefki Kuqi were substituted late on as precautionary measures having suffered with injuries in previous weeks, but both are fine.

With Juan back in contention after his foot injury, defender Drissa Diallo is the only senior player on the sidelines long-term. The Guinean international is expected to play for the reserves in a friendly against Cambridge United on Wednesday, as is young Irish central defender Gerard Nash, on his way back from his latest knee injury.

Cardiff have been hit by a financial crisis and have lost key midfield man Graham Kavanagh to Wigan. Fears that there could be a mass exodus before the transfer deadline at the end of the month have been allayed after the club was lent £1m by vice-chairman Michael Isaac.

Despite this, central defenders James Collins and Danny Gabbidon have both been linked with moves away from Ninian Park.

Manager Lennie Lawrence has a weakened strikeforce with Alan Lee banned, Peter Thorne out with a hamstring problem and Andy Campbell out on loan at Doncaster. The Bluebirds look likely to continue with a makeshift partnership of midfielder Lee Bullock and teenager Cameron Jerome.

Bullock says he is looking forward to coming up against the Blues: "Ipswich scored six on Saturday, so they will come here full of confidence, but we've only lost twice since Boxing Day so there's no reason to worry.

"Sheffield United was a scrap and so was Coventry, but Ipswich won't come here and start humping long balls because everyone knows they are a football team and it'll be a totally different game.

"They will get the ball down and pass it and so will we, so if we can get on the end of some crosses and take our chances then who knows?"

Midfielder Willie Boland is also out with a hamstring injury, while Wales international Paul Parry picked up an ankle injury while playing for the reserves last week.

Former Blue Gary Croft pulled ligaments in his knee on the opening day of the season and looks likely to be unavailable until 2005/06.

Tuesday's referee is Ray Olivier from the West Midlands who has shown 62 yellow and five red cards in 24 matches this season. Olivier is a popular man with Cardiff supporters, the Bluebirds having won all six of their games in which he has officiated.

Earlier in the season Olivier took control of Town's 2-2 draw at Crewe having previously refereed the Blues' home game with Grimsby two years ago which also ended 2-2.

Town squad: Davis, Price, Wilnis, Richards, Unsworth, De Vos, Naylor, Magilton, Miller, Horlock, Currie, Westlake, Juan, Bent, Kuqi, Couñago, Scowcroft.

Photo: Action Images

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