Middlesbrough v Ipswich: Blues boss Mick McCarthy has confirmed that Paul Taylor will keep his place in the starting line-up for Saturday’s game at Middlesbrough.

The livewire striker produced a man-of-the-match display in last weekend’s 1-0 home win over Birmingham and, as a result, will be handed only his fifth league start of the campaign.

New loan signing Jonny Williams – who had been due to start ahead of Taylor last weekend until a muscle strain, suffered in training the day before, led to his late withdrawal from the squad – is now ready to make his debut. He replaced Gareth Bale in the 72nd minute of Wales’ 3-1 home win over Iceland on Wednesday night.

“I’m not leaving Paul Taylor out, he’s playing,” said McCarthy.

Asked if the creative duo of Taylor and Williams could play in the same team, he replied: “Turn up on Saturday and find out. I’m sure they can. Paul Taylor is playing. Don’t ask for any more snippets of information though!

“Jonny is fine. I had a brief conversation with him this morning. He went on for Gareth Bale and got a huge ovation – at least I think it was for him and not Gareth!

“He’s fine. He’s been in, been assessed by the physio and he’s good.”

McCarthy also confirmed that Luke Hyam and Frank Nouble are both fit, the former having missed the last two games with a hamstring injury and the latter having been withdrawn early in the second half last weekend – following one of his best displays for Town – purely as a precaution after his hamstring tightened up.

Daryl Murphy came on in the 73rd minute of the Republic of Ireland’s 2-1 home defeat to Serbia last night, with Paul Green an unused substitute in Dublin. Christophe Berra was an unused sub as Scotland lost 1-0 in Poland. “The lads who have been away are all fine,” said McCarthy. “Jonny, Murph and Greeny were all in this morning. Christophe wasn’t because he landed in Scotland at some time today so I told him there was no point in coming back down here just to travel straight back up north on the coach tomorrow. He’ll meet us in Middlesbrough.”

Meanwhile, McCarthy confirmed that academy midfielder Teddy Bishop – who impressed for the Under-21s in a 1-0 win over QPR – will be in the travelling squad as Anthony Wordsworth is struggling with a sore back and loanee Frazer Richardson is ineligible to play against his parent club.

The big game stats - Middlesbrough v Ipswich Town