Manager Paul Lambert believes a high-intensity internal game has helped his players remain fit and firing for Ipswich Town’s much-anticipated return to league action this weekend.
A three-game cup interlude will mean the Blues will have gone 17 days without playing a League One match when they take to the field against Blackpool, with Luke Chambers, Cole Skuse, Kayden Jackson, James Norwood, Luke Woolfenden and Jon Nolan kept on the sidelines while others got their chance to impress.
But there is no fear of rust heading into the game, despite the lack of action for so many of Town's central figures, with an internal game organised at the club's training base ahead of Wednesday's victory over Lincoln.
"We're ok but we'll see how we are because we've had a long trip to Lincoln, so we'll judge it from there," Lambert said.
"Everyone seems to be on the money and that's really important. They're all ready to go again so let's see what happens.
"We had an in-house game here during the week so lads have had minutes. We're ready for the game.
"Every day I come in here the lads train the same way. They have really high standards and the standards I demand are more-or-less always hit.
"You train the way you play and you have a really good chance.
"I don't have any complaints about the way they go about their training and the intensity they train at. It was the same with the in-house game.
"You can never predict the result but hopefully we can win it."
The game with Blackpool is followed by Tuesday night's battle of the top two between the Blues and Wycombe at Portman Road, but Lambert isn't looking too far ahead.
"Every game is tough, every week is tough," the Town boss said.
"It doesn't matter which way you want to view it. Every time I look at my notice board I see a tough game so it's about chalking that one off and moving on to the next game.
"It's one game at a time, then you try and bounce it on and try to win the next one.
"If you lose the first four or five games, which could have happened, then maybe you look at it and think 'yeah, we really need to win the next two' but the start we've made is really good and we take it one game at a time.
"I don't think about the Wycombe game at the moment.
"We're miles away from where we want to be and we're still developing, but it's been a good start."
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