Chris could be back

By Derek Davis

Chief Football Writer

CHRIS Bart-Williams could be in line for a recall as Ipswich look to book a play-off place at Sheffield United on Friday.

The former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder has been struggling with a back injury for the past three months but has come through reserve games of late.

Both his last two first-team starts ended in 3-1 defeats, at home to Wigan and Millwall. But with Tommy Miller still a major doubt for the trip to Bramall Lane with a tight hamstring, Blues boss Joe Royle may gamble on Bart-Williams.

Skipper Jim Magilton limped off with a thigh injury caused by the studs of Andy Reid, but the Ulsterman is expected to be fit for the Blades encounter. Georges Santos, an ex-Sheffield United defender, is also in frame to play against his old club and both were left out of the reserve squad to travel to Leicester City tonight.

Alun Armstrong is the only first-team squad member involved while Lewis Price, Aidan Collins and Owen Garvan are all away on international duty.

A Town win in Friday's televised clash would mean United could not finish above Town and would severely dent their play-off challenge with just one game to go.

Blades boss Neil Warnock is convinced his players have the bottle to book their place in the play-offs.

With just two games left to force themselves back into the top six, he is urging them to silence the critics by launching a renewed assault on the Premiership.

Warnock said: "This will do wonders for our confidence. You could see it in four or five of our lads' eyes that they were back to what they were like a couple of months ago."