IPSWICH Town will sign Reading midfielder Jay Tabb on a one-month loan tomorrow.

The 29-year-old midfielder has made 89 appearances for the Royals and featured 12 times in the Premier League in the first half of this season. However, he was told by manager Brian McDermott that he was surplus to requirements at the Madejski Stadium in January.

Mick McCarthy will know all about the former Republic or Ireland Under-21 from his time in international management. The Blues boss likes to have players with Championship experience and versatility – and Tabb ticks both those boxes.

Having played nearly 200 games in English football’s second tier for both Coventry and Reading, Tabb – who is primarily an industrious central midfielder – can also operate at full-back and on the wing.

Should the paperwork be finished in time, Tabb will go straight into the Town squad for their game at Peterborough United on Saturday.

The Blues boss will only be able to name five of his seven domestic loanees in his match day squad. Right-back Richard Stearman is suspended following his red card at Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night, with Reece Brown (Manchester United), Patrick Kisnorbo (Leeds) and Aaron Mclean (Hull) the trio most at risk of dropping out the squad, with Stephen Henderson (West Ham) and David McGoldrick (Nottingham Forest) set to start.