ALAN Quinn is predicting fireworks on and off the pitch now that Shefki Kuqi has returned.The Flying Finn is remembered as much for his celebratory swallow dives as his bust-ups with Jim Magilton, who was his skipper the first time was here under Joe Royle.

Derek Davis

ALAN Quinn is predicting fireworks on and off the pitch now that Shefki Kuqi has returned.

The Flying Finn is remembered as much for his celebratory swallow dives as his bust-ups with Jim Magilton, who was his skipper the first time was here under Joe Royle.

It was an open secret how the two used to go hammer and tong at each during games, but were good mates off it and fiercely competitive on the golf course.

Quinn, who played for Magilton and Kuqi at different times at Sheffield Wednesday, is all too aware of the pair's fiery nature, and also what the Finn can add to Town's promotion push.

He said: “I played with Shefki at Sheffield Wednesday and he works his socks off. He gives defenders and awful time and causes all sorts of problems.”

Quinn believes Kuqi's arrival will add bite throughout the team due to his competitive nature.

He said: “We have always kept in touch and Shefki used to tell me how he had Jim up by the throat on the dressing room wall after some games.

“He is not afraid to say something in the dressing room and that is no bad thing. It is something we need

“We probably do need to be a little nastier and show a bit more fight.”

The Blues showed a lack of backbone at Barnsley as they crashed 2-1 with Quinn admitting the team folded.

He said: “We went one up but let them come back into it. Then when we were 2-1 down, we were still in with a chances and hit the woodwork a couple of times. But when Barnsley scored again we just thought it was not going to be our night and we gave in far too easily.”

Quinn will be looked upon as a main provider for Kuqi, especially now that top-scorer Jon Walters has effectively been ruled out for the remainder of the season with a torn cartilage that was aggravated in the draw against Sheffield United, Quinn's previous club.

Quinn said: “We will miss Jon Walters. He has probably been our best player but we have to get on with it.”

With Danny Haynes also struggling to be fit after straining his groin in the warm up at Oakwell, Ipswich will probably stick with Quinn on the left and David Norris on the right.

Kuqi may have to settle for a place on the bench with Alan Lee and Pablo Counago keeping their places up front with the changes at the back and the centre of midfield more likely.

Richard Naylor is struggling with a recurrence of a worrying neck injury so Alex Bruce will shuffle back to centre half alongside Jason De Vos, while Sito Castro could reclaim his place at full-back after recovering from an ankle injury.

Ipswich Town: Colgan, Bywater, Wright, Harding, Sito, Bruce, De Vos, Trotter, Garvan, Sumulikoski, Miller, Quinn, Williams, Norris, Haynes, Rhodes, Lee, Counago, Kuqi.

Charlton Athletic squad: Weaver, Halford, Sodje, McCarthy, Thatcher, Sinclair, Cook, Holland, Zhi, Ambrose, Iwelumo, Lita, Gray, Youga, Elliot, Semedo, Thomas.