Ipswich Town manager Mick McCarthy looks set to add a centre-back to his ranks before the summer transfer window closes at 11pm tonight.

The Blues boss is without a recognised senior player in that position having seen Luke Chambers and Adam Webster suffer ankle injuries in the first month of the campaign, and Tommy Smith be sidelined with a hamstring problem.

Nottingham Forest defender Jack Hobbs, Djurgarden’s Jonas Olsson – formerly of West Brom – and Brighton’s Connor Goldson have all been linked with loan moves to Portman Road and Town are close to bringing in a new addition before this evening’s deadline.

In the past, the Blues would have been able to rely on the emergency loan system, which allowed clubs to bring players in on loan for a maximum of three months, in between the August window closing and the January one opening.

However, that was scrapped in 2016, the EFL bowing down to pressure from the FIFA, although Town are able to sign a free agent at any time.

The Blues have played their last two games with four full-backs making up the back four, following Chambers’ injury at Millwall, although makeshift centre-backs Jonas Knudsen and Jordan Spence have filled in there previously.

Given Town’s injury problems – they have been decimated in midfield as well – their start to the season has been all the more remarkable, McCarthy’s men picking up four wins from their opening four games, before finally succumbing to a 2-0 home defeat to Fulham on Saturday.

The Blues were comprehensively beaten against the Cottagers, but in-form goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski is pleased with the team’s start to the season, and especially impressed with his defence.

“Take the Fulham game away and they (back four) have been absolutely superb,” said highly-rated Bialkowski, who reiterated his own commitment to the Blues at the weekend

“They kept a clean sheet last week, against a Brentford side similar to Fulham.

“They will learn from their mistakes and doing that can only make you a better player in the future.

“They have been absolutely fantastic. Jonas (Knudsen) and Jordan Spence, playing out of position at centre-back, have been absolutely superb.”