Ipswich Town captain Luke Chambers has backed manager Paul Lambert’s squad rotation policy ahead of the Blues’ return to League One action this afternoon.
It's the first time the Portman Road club have been in league action for 17 days, following the 1-0 defeat of Rochdale on November 5, with a trio of cup games coming in the intervening period.
Lambert made major changes to his regular league side for the games, leaving the likes of Chambers, Cole Skuse, Kayden Jackson and James Norwood out of his teams, with those players likely to return this afternoon.
And Chambers is backing Lambert's approach as he looks to mastermind an instant return to the Championship, insisting the policy shows a high level of trust in each and every member of the Town squad.
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"The gaffer has said he has trust in all the players here and will use the squad and he did that again in the week and we came away with the result we wanted," Chambers said in his programme column ahead of today's game.
"That trust is a ringing endorsement for every player in the squad.
"As a player, I want to play in every game. Every player will tell you the same but it's down to how the staff think it's best to manage and get the best performance levels out of players and the team throughout the season and as players, you have to respect that and go with it.
"The lads are right behind that policy. There is a great spirit in the squad, we all support each other whoever is playing and we are trying to do what is required to get ourselves promoted. That is obviously what we all want."
Lambert defended his approach after the win at Lincoln and did so again at his pre-match press conference yesterday, explaining that he has supreme trust in his squad.
"It's not one group of players and then another group, that's not the case," he said.
"We don't have a strong 1-11, we have a strong 1-23 or 24 that I can rely on. I don't have one particular person because I've more-or-less left everyone out the team and it will happen again.
"Everyone can play a part in it and everyone will with the position we're in at the moment."
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