IPSWICH Town are not planning to add to their squad between now and the end of the season.

Elvin King

IPSWICH Town are not planning to add to their squad between now and the end of the season.

I understand this is the case and that manager Jim Magilton will not be given any further cash to strengthen as he seeks to lift the Blues into Coca-Cola Championship play-off contention.

The Blues boss has spent the �12million allocated to him by club owner Marcus Evans 14 months ago, and there will no more cash until the summer at least.

Although the transfer window closed on February 2 deals can still be done by Championship clubs in the loan market.

Magilton spent �1million to bring in 22-year-old Argentinean Luciano Civelli to redress a problem on the left side of midfield - and will now have to soldier on for the rest of the campaign with his current squad.

A couple of players may still go out on loan, and the likes Jordan Rhodes for one could come back in Magilton's plans once he returns from a loan period at Brentford.

The 14 Town players who are out of contract in the summer are not expected to know whether they will be offered a new deal or not until the summer.

Town chief executive Derek Bowden said: “I don't think there will be any offers until the end of the season.

“That's not to say we are not going to, but we won't be making any contract extension offers before the summer. We'll take stock at the end of the campaign.”

And confirming that there will be no more cash made available to Magilton for a while, Bowden added: “The �12 million has been spent on players and wages throughout this season, so Marcus Evans has spent what he committed to spend.

“There will be more money coming into the club, but how much will depend on what the squad looks like.

“And whether we sell a player or two in the summer as that could happen too.

“If we have income from a player sale, that could offset the level of further investment that needs to be made.

“But they are all decisions we'll take in the summer. If we do need a further cash injection in the summer it's been noted and agreed to.”

Liam Trotter's possible loan move to Scunthorpe has been delayed in case Veliche Shumulikoski suffers any reaction from his 45 minutes with Macedonian in midweek and he could be included in tomorrow's squad.

Full back Moritz Volz is fit after recovering from a groin problem and is in the squad, and so is Civelli although he is unlikely to start.

With David Norris and Alan Quinn serving a one-match ban, Tommy Miller, Owen Garvan and Shumulikoski will be competing for central midfield roles.

Pablo Counago and Jon Stead are favourites to start up front with Jon Walters earmarked for a wide midfield berth.

Tomorrow's likely squads

Ipswich Town: R Wright, Bruce, Volz, McAuley, Balkestein, D Wright, Thatcher, Haynes, Garvan, Shumulikoski, Miller, Civelli, Walters, Counago, Stead, Lisbie, Supple, Bowditch, Trotter.

Blackpool: Rachubka, Baptiste, Barker, Edwards, Crainey, O'Donovan, Jorgensen, Fox, Vaughan, Taylor-Fletcher, Campbell, Gilks, Coid, Ormerod, Owens, Evatt, Marshall, Halstead.

Referee: Mr P Crossley (Kent)