CONTRACT talks between Gavin Williams and Ipswich Town have stalled. The Blues offered Williams a new deal during the summer but now want to wait until the Welsh midfielder has returned to full fitness after damaging ankle ligaments.

By Derek Davis

CONTRACT talks between Gavin Williams and Ipswich Town have stalled.

The Blues offered Williams a new deal during the summer but now want to wait until the Welsh midfielder has returned to full fitness after damaging ankle ligaments.

Williams is expected to start jogging next week and hopes to be back playing by November, although manager Jim Magilton feels he won't be back to his best until January.

The Welsh midfielder is already contracted until the summer of 2009 but had wanted to extend that until 2012 and talks began in July.

But although most of the details have been agreed talks with Williams' agent have now been put on hold, although Magilton is confident things will be resolved.

He said: “This is all part of the negotiation process and there is no rush. Once Gavin is fit and flying again we will continue talks and things will take care of themselves.”

A £250,000 bargain buy from West Ham, Williams has been a key player for Town when fit but after surgery last October to try and rectify a groin problem he has not had a happy year and needed another operation earlier this year in Copenhagen.

Just when it looked as if he had recovered from that and was hitting top form again he fell awkwardly in the pre-season friendly against Panathinaikos and damaged angle ligaments.

The 26-year-old has worked hard on his core fitness and after swimming and cycling is ready to start jogging. He hopes to be doing ball work next month.

Richard Naylor is also making good progress from an operation on his big toe. He has already started running and is close to working with a ball.

Back into the squad for tomorrow's game at Hull City are Fabian Wilnis, who scored a spectacular overhead goal for the reserves in a behind-closed-doors game against Spurs on Tuesday, and Danny Haynes who return after suspensions.

At least Magilton will not have to worry about keeper Neil Alexander being distracted by baby talk any more after wife Joanne this week gave birth to their second daughter who they have called Olivia.

Ipswich Town squad for Hull City: Alexander, Supple, Wright, Wilnis, Harding, Bruce, de Vos, Casement, Sito, Legwinski, Peters, Miller, Garvan, Roberts, Haynes, Walters, Clarke, Counago and Lee.