Ipswich Town will not compete in this season’s Suffolk FA Premier Cup.

The Blues, who also pulled out of last season’s competition, will not feature due to scheduling with the club’s under-18 and under-21 fixtures in the forthcoming season.

Town secretary Sally Webb said: “Although we will not be able to take part we wish the competing clubs all the best for the competition, and hope that we will be able to stage the county finals at Portman Road at the end of the season.”

The draw for the Premier Cup as well as the Senior Cup will be published in the East Anglian Daily Times on Saturday and Monday’s Ipswich Star.

Bury Town will be defending the Premier Cup following their 4-1 victory over Felixstowe & Walton United in last season’s final.

Whatever happens in the Senior Cup there will be two different finalists this season.

Both winners Whitton United and runners-up Ipswich Wanderers won promotion to the Premier Division of the Thurlow Nunn League at the end of last season and so will compete in the Premier Cup this season.

Meanwhile, the Blues have been dealt a blow with the news that new signing Cameron Stewart is expected to be sidelined for around six weeks with a fractured jaw.

The former Hull winger underwent scans yesterday after picking up the injury in Saturday’s pre-season friendly draw at Leyton Orient.

“Cameron was caught by an arm late on in the game on Saturday and the scan has shown that he has fractured his jaw,” Town physio Matt Byard said.

“He will have surgery in the morning and we will see where we stand from there but for that type of injury, you are looking at between four to six weeks on the sidelines.”

Stewart becomes the latest player to pick up an injury with Stephen Hunt (calf), Paul Anderson (hamstring), Jonathan Parr (groin) and Tommy Smith (groin) all concerns ahead of the weekend opener against Fulham at Portman Road.

David McGoldrick also looks unlikely to start Saturday’s game, last season’s top scorer is still recovering from a cruciate knee ligament injury than has kept him out since February.

The 26-year-old played 43 minutes of the second half during Town’s draw with Orient on Saturday but manager Mick McCarthy insists the former Nottingham Forest frontman is still not ready.

Asked if the 26-year-old was near to starting a game, McCarthy replied: “No. It’s pre-season. As much as that was competitive, it’s not Fulham at home, it’s not Reading away.

“Let’s see how he feels tomorrow and beyond. He certainly makes a difference playing for us.

“I think he was disappointed to be coming off (in the 88th minute, having come on at the break), but I just said ‘you’ve done enough’.”

Town’s opening day opponents concluded their pre-season schedule with a 1-0 victory over Turkish side Caykur Rizespor on Saturday.

Goalscorer Cauley Woodrow said of the Cottagers’ time in Austria, during which time they played Rizespor; “It was a successful week.

“We’ve had double sessions, we’ve been training hard and we’re just raring to go now really.

“Our main focus is onto Saturday now against Ipswich so we’ll be training hard all week and preparing for the game at the weekend.”

“It’s (the new season) massive for us young lads.

“The manager (Felix Magath) showed faith in a lot of us last season and I think he will this term as well if we continue to work hard and do well, so fingers crossed we get some game time.”