Ipswich Town centre-back Adam Webster will miss the televised Championship home game against Nottingham Forest, the club revealing he sustained a groin injury in last Saturday’s 2-1 win at Sheffield Wednesday.

Webster, 21, has been a big hit since joining the Blues from League Two side Portsmouth in a £700k deal this summer. Recent statistics showed he has made the most blocks in the Championship so far this season, while his calmness on the ball, range of passing and driving runs out from the back have led to manager Mick McCarthy hailing the former England Under-18 international as a Premier League player in waiting.

The club have announced on their website this afternoon that Webster strained his groin in the last minute at Hillsborough and has travelled to London to see a specialist and have an injection.

Following this weekend’s international break, Town have back-to-back Saturday home games against Nottingham Forest (5pm, Sky Sports) and QPR.

“It’s a strain to his left groin,” Town physio Matt Byard told the club website.

“We are looking at around three weeks or so. Adam won’t be available for Forest but we haven’t ruled him out of the QPR game yet. It depends on how his recovery goes.

“He is seeing Dr Noel Pollock today, who worked with the GB team at the Rio Olympics and we will take it from there.”

Blues centre-back Tommy Smith told the EADT today that he has suffered a set-back in his recovery from a back injury that required surgery and will not be available again until the beginning of December.

That means that Town skipper Luke Chambers is likely to move inside to his favoured position of centre-back, against his former club Forest, and youngster Josh Emmanuel will fill the right-back slot.