Ipswich Town have been ravaged by injuries in central midfield so far this season. Sports writer Andy Warren takes a look at the players missing from the Blues engine room.
Cole Skuse - struggling with an ankle injury
The man dubbed ‘The Interceptor’ due to the fact he at one stage had more interceptions than any player in Europe’s leading leagues, has been a big miss since leaving Town’s home victory over Reading with an ankle problem.
Mick McCarthy insisted, prior to the clash with Wolves, that his midfield lynchpin would not be risked if not 100 per cent ready, and so it proved as he sat out the defeat at Molineux and Boxing Day draw at home to Queens Park Rangers.
He remains a doubt for Saturday’s visit of Derby, with the Blues missing not only his ability to win the ball, but his organisational skills and his more forward-thinking play this season.
Emyr Huws - out for season with knee injury
The Blues were just beginning to remember just why £1million was spent to make the Welshman’s move permanent in the summer,
But he departed the defeat at Middlesbrough early after taking a bang to his hip and subsequently underwent knee surgery which will keep him sidelined for the rest of the campaign.
McCarthy admitted discovering the midfielder had torn his cartilage was a shock.
Tom Adeyemi - out with a hamstring injury
Much like Huws, it’s been a stop-start season for the former Cardiff midfielder.
He was signed in the summer in the hope of forming a midfield three with Skuse and Huws, but that trio has yet to be on the field at the same time.
Adeyemi had to wait until September for his Ipswich debut as an illness hampered his first few months at the club and he made just five appearances before suffering hamstring trouble. He was originally expected to return for the clash with Nottingham Forest on December 2 but has yet to reappear.
Teddy Bishop - out with hamstring problem
It was devastating to watch Bishop trudge down the Portman Road sidelines, shirt over his face as he seemingly fought back the tears, after he suffered a hamstring injury against QPR.
It remains to be seen just how long he is sidelined for, but the Blues have been ultra-careful in their management of a string of injuries which have restricted Bishop to just 28 appearances in three seasons.
He was the Blues best player in the first half against Rangers and will be badly missed, given McCarthy had earmarked him as a true replacement for Huws.
Luke Hyam - battling back from knee surgery
The former Northgate High School pupil has not played since the final day of the 2015/16 season.
He is currently working his way back to fitness following knee surgery in the summer and missed the whole of last season due to a previous knee injury and damage to his ankle ligaments.
Prior to the victory over Reading, McCarthy said: “He’s still recovering, not ready for the U23s yet.”
Andre Dozzell - out for season with knee injury
Following a glorious summer in which he helped England Under 19s to European Championship glory, Dozzell’s season was over before it begun as he suffered a cruciate knee ligament injury in the opening-day victory over Birmingham.
He required oxygen as he left the Portman Road pitch and later underwent surgery, but is now firmly on the road to recover.
Dozzell and the club’s physios regularly post pictures and videos of his recovery on social media.
Tristan Nydam - out with hip and groin injuries
The youngster’s impressive progression not only filled a gap left by a number of senior injuries, but also earned him a new, long-term deal.
But he is now sidelined with a combination of hip and groin injuries.
He has not played since the victory at Derby at the end of November.
Flynn Downes - calf problem
The young midfielder, who burst onto the scene in pre-season, made a return to the Blues’ Under 23 side last week having previously struggled with a calf injury.
He then took another kick to the calf in the victory over Coventry and missed both Wolves and QPR.
McCarthy is hopeful, though, of a swift return.
Kevin Bru
Bru ran out of gas at Wolves, having been called in from the cold once again to help cover the mounting injury list. Prior to that game he had been on the injury list himself after taking a bang on the ribs.
McCarthy revealed after the clash with QPR on Boxing Day that Bru missed the game as he was attending a funeral.
He could come back into contention for Saturday’s game with Derby.
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