Ipswich Town boss Mick McCarthy says Adam Webster and Leon Best should both return to his squad for Saturday’s Championship home game against QPR, while Brett Pitman is hoping to be back from injury to make the trip to Bristol City the following week.

Centre-half Webster missed last Saturday’s 2-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest with a hamstring problem.

“He’s trained today and providing there’s no reaction out of that (he should be back). He’s had a good session,” said McCarthy.

“He’s been doing his rehab but it was the first time he’s trained with the squad and he was fine, he looked great. We’ll see how he is tomorrow and if he’s all right he’ll be involved.”

Striker Best missed out on a place on the bench against Forest through injury.

“He just had a bit of a niggle with his knee, two weeks he’s been out,” explained McCarthy. “He trained yesterday, he played in the game for an hour yesterday and then he trained today, so he’s ready to go on Saturday providing he doesn’t have any reaction, which I don’t think he will. Everybody else is okay.

“We’ve got a fairly full squad to pick from.”

Fellow frontman Brett Pitman has been out of action since suffering an ankle injury at Leeds in September but the Town boss says last season’s top scorer should be back in the squad for the visit to his former club a week on Saturday.

“Brett Pitman is hoping to be on the bus to Bristol City to be involved, which is very promising as well,” he continued.

“He’s done well. Matt Byard, who is head of the physiotherapists, is terrific. He’s not one that gives you an extended date so he gets them back early, he pushes them.

“And, to be fair, they’ve been very, very good in terms of their rehab and doing it properly, they’re conscientious about it and if he’s back on the bus for Bristol I’ll be delighted, it would be great.”

McCarthy says midfielder Luke Hyam is making progress having had knee surgery with his return to action expected in early December: “He’s doing fine. He’s injury is what it is, nerve damage, and it’s just been a really slow recovery.

“But I think he’s feeling a lot better in himself and he can see it’s improving, it’s getting better. That’s a real positive.”

Also on the way back is midfielder Giles Coke, who had a second knee operation earlier in the season and centre-half Tommy Smith, who underwent back surgery in September and is also likely to return in December.

“He’s rehabbing, he’s doing fine,” McCarthy said. “His rehab is going well, whatever time limit it was, I can’t remember what we said, but he’ll be back on time.

“But that was a real serious operation to have on the base of your back and there’s no way we’ll be rushing him. He’s doing all the right things to get it right and strengthen his core.”