Ipswich Town manager Paul Lambert is hopeful that injured defensive duo Luke Chambers and James Collins will be fit in time for Sunday’s East Anglian derby at Norwich City and seems to have ruled out a return to action for wantaway left-back Jonas Knudsen.

Chambers and Collins were both absent for today’s 1-0 home defeat to Sheffield Wednesday.

Lambert explained: “Luke hurt is foot against Villa and James felt his hamstring after the Villa game. We gave them as much time as we possibly could.

“The two of them starting training, but the two of them had to pull out. It’s the first time I’ve ever encountered losing two centre-halves in one day. That was a blow.”

Asked how long they might be out for, the Blues boss replied: “Do you know what, I don’t know. Hopefully they will be back for next week. Hopefully.”

Deadline day signing James Bree came straight into the side at right-back today, while Toto Nsiala made his first league start since October.

Jonas Knudsen still wasn’t in the match day squad, despite a move away not materialising before the January transfer window closed.

Asked if the Danish left-back might come back into his thoughts, Lambert said: “It depends on how lads are. Jonas made the view that he had an eye om something else and it never materialised. It was dead difficult for us to say ‘if you’re not going to be here, how are we going to use you?’

“He wanted to go somewhere else and it never happened. You tend to think you are a better player than you actually are. Maybe he’ll start to realise what it is.

“I speak to him all the time. It’s not like I’ve not kept him updated and vice versa.

“I think Jonas thought somebody was going to come in for him. It’s your career. You have to judge it by yourself.”

Meanwhile, Lambert confirmed that Town blocked a loan recall for Matthew Pennington on deadline day. Everton wanted to cut short his season-long switch and send him to Derby instead, but the Blues said no.

“That’s exactly what happened,” said Lambert. “You’d need your head read if you were to let him go. That’s the problem when you have loans. It’s a big problem. You need your own team. Six loans is difficult.

“If we’d have let him go and we lost two centre-halves we’d have only had Toto (Nsiala) really left. Corrie Ndaba maybe. As I say every week, you’ve got to have your own team.”