Town will be without striker Danny Haynes and midfielder Gavin Williams when Burnley visit Portman Road on Saturday. Haynes is out for four to five weeks with an ankle ligament injury, while Williams hurt his leg in the glorious derby win at Carrow Road last week.

Wales international Williams could also miss Town's trips to Crewe and Wolves but is not considered a long-term casualty. The 25-year-old's leg is bruised, has a couple of bad gashes and his ankle is swollen after a tackle in the first half of Sunday's game.

Keeper Shane Supple is over the flu virus which kept him out of the 2-1 derby win at Norwich on Sunday and boss Royle is undecided whether to stick with Lewis Price or recall the Irishman.

Despite Haynes's injury and Nicky Forster being out of action for virtually the rest of the season after undergoing a cartilage operation, Town's striking injury curse does appear to be on the wane. Sam Parkin is now only three weeks away from first team football and will play some part when the reserves face Crystal Palace next Wednesday (Portman Road, KO 7pm).

Adam Proudlock is back in training after his knee injury and recent bout of flu, while Darryl Knights and Billy Clarke were both in the reserves side which had their game abandoned at Leicester on Tuesday, a match which Royle says will have to be replayed.

While he is awaiting the return of Haynes and Parkin, the Town manager is keen to bring in a loanee but Royle says that even on that front the injury curse is taking its toll and no new signing is expected before the weekend: "I enquired about a loan striker but by the time the club came back to me he'd got injured.

"We're after a player who can complement Alan Lee. I've been delighted with him and if we were turning a corner before he arrived, he pushed us round."

Central defender Gerard Nash has returned from his loan spell at Hartlepool after a change of management. Boss Martin Scott and reserve team manager Steve Agnew have left and caretaker manager Paul Stephenson wasn't going to play the Irishman. Agnew, goalkeeper-coach Andy Rhodes's brother-in-law, was Town's link with the League One side.

The Blues have had good reports of Nash's performances while with Pools and he could come into Royle's plans once his loan formally ends, although he may now join up with the Republic of Ireland squad for a tournament in Madeira, having initially pulled out while at Victoria Park.

Royle is likely to stick with the same back four that played so well at Norwich, while Jimmy Juan, Owen Garvan, who will miss the Crewe game after reaching five bookings, and Matt Richards are all set to keep their places in midfield after running the game at Carrow Road.

Skipper Jim Magilton could return on the right with Darren Currie moving back to his position off main striker Alan Lee, who will be facing one of his old clubs.

The Town boss has been impressed with the way that Burnley have continued to flourish after losing players like Richard Chaplow, Robbie Blake and latterly Ade Akinbiyi, and cites a former Blue as a major factor in their continued improvement: "They've done exceptionally well and are hard to beat. John McGreal is one of the best defenders in this division.

"He'd certainly be in the top five players I wouldn't have wanted to see leave here in the last few years. I have the highest regard for John as a player and but for injuries he might even have played at the highest level for longer.

"It was a shame to lose John, but I hope he has one of his very rare off days on Saturday."

Burnley boss Steve Cotterill says the Blues have made progress after the summer departures: "They've done very well considering.

"They've had some young players who have come in and they have a very productive youth scheme at Ipswich, and they just seem to keep bringing them through, so that's all credit to them. They're a big club and that turnover of players is fantastic for them.

"They've been up there and been in the Premiership over the last few seasons, but they've had a transitional period since they've been out of the Premiership.

"Therefore, it's been a topsy-turvy season for them maybe, with all the younger players."

Cotterill, whose side won the Turf Moor meeting between the two clubs 3-0, expects a hard match: "It was a tough game there last year and Ipswich are a good side, whether or not they have young players in.

"You only have to look at three of their back four, Naylor, De Vos and Wilnis, who would get in most Championship teams, so we know what to expect."

The Clarets may be able to call on defender Wayne Thomas, a summer Town target when he left Stoke, after a lengthy absence due to a knee ligament injury. Wales goalkeeper Danny Coyne is their only player out long-term after suffering a cruciate knee ligament injury early in the season. Frank Sinclair misses out as he starts a two-match ban.

Danny Karbassiyoon, on loan with the Blues last season, is now at Turf Moor but is yet to make a first team start. One-time England striker Michael Ricketts was recently added to the squad on loan from Leeds as a replacement for Ade Akinbiyi. Ricketts scored the winning goal in the 1-0 at home to Plymouth last weekend.

Saturday's referee is Darren Deadman from Cheshunt who has shown 89 yellow and seven red cards in 25 games this season. Deadman is in his first year as a Football League official and has previously only officiated in one Championship match, Derby's recent 5-1 win over Crewe.

Regular reserves watchers may remember Deadman as the referee who sent off keeper Lewis Price and booked seven other players in the 0-0 home draw with Portsmouth in November 2003.

Likely Town squad: Supple, Price, Wilnis, Barron, Sito, Naylor, De Vos, Magilton, Juan, Garvan, Richards, Westlake, Currie, Lee, McDonald, Proudlock.

Photo: Action Images

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