Ipswich Town boss Mick McCarthy says he expects keeper Bartosz Bialkowski to still be at the club come the end of the season.

Town’s two-times Supporters’ Player of the Year has been heavily linked to Crystal Palace this month, with Roy Hodgson having made no secret of the fact he is looking for a new No.1 at Selhurst Park.

The Eagles were reportedly close to signing Vicente Guaita from Spanish club Getafe, but that move is now said to be off and that attentions have now turned to FC Copenhagen and Sweden keeper Robin Olsen.

Bialkowski missed last weekend’s 1-0 home win against Leeds with a calf strain, but is fit to face Bolton at the Macron Stadium on Saturday.

“I’ve not heard anything,” said McCarthy, when quizzed on the Palace link that refuses to go away. “Right at the start I spoke to Crystal Palace and they told me he was one of a number of goalkeepers on their list – we all do that, we all have a list of them.

“But I’ve never really seen his name really mentioned with it. I don’t think so.”

Asked if he a price in mind that Town would sell at, the Blues boss replied: “I don’t have any figure in mind, no, and I expect him to be here at the end of the season.”

He continued: “If they (Palace) come calling to (owner) Marcus (Evans) and want to make a bid then I’ve no doubt that an agent will have been in his earhole long before it even gets to my desk.

“I guess if they do come in then it’s a Premier League club and Bart will want to consider that.

“And why wouldn’t he? Because every other player would. I would, as a manager, and every other coach would too if they were offered the chance to work in the Premier League. I’m sure you guys would like to be reporting on the Premier League if you got the chance.

“It’s just the way the game is. If they come knocking I’ll deal with it, but I can’t tell you how I’m going to deal with it before it happens.”

He added: “Marcus turned bids down for Murph (Daryl Murphy) in the past and he turned bids down for David McGoldrick.

“People give it out to him saying he doesn’t spend enough, but I remind people that he puts a chunk of money in every year to keep the club going.

“He has turned bids down in the past and certainly if he thought people were taking the mick by waiting until the end of the window and thinking they could come in and nick him (Bialkowski) I don’t think he’s the man to be messed with like that to be quite honest.

“He’s got an option (12 month extension clause in his contract), so he’s got 18 months left on his contract. That’s a long old time. It’s what Marcus wants to do, that’s the upshot of it.”