Mick McCarthy is hopeful Joe Garner will be fit to face former club Preston this weekend while a trio of youngsters could get a chance to impress at Deepdale.
Garner sat out the 1-0 loss to Cardiff with a knee injury, but McCarthy is hopeful the forward will be ready to take on his boyhood side, who he scored 57 goals for, after training today.
The Blues will fly to the north west this afternoon, with youngsters Tristan Nydam, Aaron Drinan and Ben Morris among the travelling party.
Mustapha Carayol remains a doubt, though, having missed Wednesday’s defeat by Cardiff through illness.
“It was always the plan he (Garner) would play on the Saturday, he’s not done anything yet but will be training today,” McCarthy said. “If he’s fit, he’ll start.
MORE: Stuart says: McCarthy searching for the system which will halt the grim statistics
“Muzzy (Carayol), I’ve not seen him yet but it’s unlikely he’ll be fit to start having had sickness and diarrhoea for two days because that will take a lot out of him.
“I’m sure he is (desperate to start) but he’s joined a long list of sickness and injuries of players who have come here.”
With David McGoldrick now almost certainly out for the season, the likes of Morris and Drinan could get a chance to impress in attack, while Nydam will be keen to get back in the side having been a regular earlier in the campaign.
“Tristan’s travelling, and he’s been out for a while with injuries and is coming back,” McCarthy said. “Ben Morris has been doing well and Aaron Drinan, they’ll all travel.
MORE: Luke Hyam is playing for a future at the club he loves
“They all played on the Monday (against Charlton in the Under 23s) and I didn’t expect to lose three players by the time Wednesday came around.
“With Didzy out we’ll see how Joe is, we’ll see how Muzzy is because I don’t know if he is travelling yet, and I don’t want him if he’s still infected and passing it on to anybody. Particularly me, by the way, I don’t need that.”
When asked about the fitness of Tom Adeyemi, who has not played since October due to a succession of injuries, McCarthy was still unable to give a timetable for a return.
“I can’t answer that, I’m afraid, how close he is to a game,” he said. “He’s doing his rehab and they haven’t given me a time on that.”
FACEBOOK: Follow us on Facebook for all the latest Blues news, views, interviews and videos
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here