Ipswich Town midfielder Emyr Huws is set to make his long-awaited return to action in an Under-23s fixture against Colchester United, at Playford Road, next Monday (1pm).

The Welsh international midfielder became the club’s first £1m signing in five years this summer following an impressive end-of-season loan spell from Cardiff City, but has been sidelined with a troublesome Achilles injury ever since.

“He’s training well,” said Blues boss Mick McCarthy. “He’s feeling much better about himself and has just been caught smiling, so that’s a good sign!

“He’s playing in the 23s next week and we’ll see after that.

“We had to go down the conservative route (physiotherapy rather than surgery) and fingers crossed it’s worked. It will be great to have him back.”

Meanwhile, midfielder Tom Adeyemi is back in the treatment room. The summer signing, also recruited from Cardiff, missed the start of the season through illness and a calf problem, then recently missed two games with a tight hamstring before returning for last Sunday’s 1-0 home defeat to Norwich.

“Tom Adeyemi is very, very doubtful,” revealed McCarthy, speaking ahead of Saturday’s Championship game at Burton Albion.

“Before the Norwich game he’d been off for three weeks, he came back and had three weeks’ training, was very good, but he’s felt his hamstring again, which is really sad because he did very well.

“He does make a difference and the lads think he makes a difference. I had thoughts of playing a midfield three of Tom Adeyemi, Emyr and Skusey (Cole Skuse), which would be a formidable threesome.

“Thankfully though, we’ve had Tristan (Nydam) and Flynn (Downes) who have come through and done really well.”

Fellow central midfielders Teddy Bishop (groin), Andre Dozzell (knee) and Luke Hyam (knee) remain long-term absentees.