POSSIBLY the strongest reserve team that has been on show this season will entertain Nottingham Forest at Portman Road tonight.A three-pronged strike force has been named with Darren Bent and Alun Armstrong returning from injury to join Dean Bowditch in the Blues attack.

POSSIBLY the strongest reserve team that has been on show this season will entertain Nottingham Forest at Portman Road tonight.

A three-pronged strike force has been named with Darren Bent and Alun Armstrong returning from injury to join Dean Bowditch in the Blues attack.

Bent has not played since aggravating a knee injury with England Under-21s last month, while Armstrong picked up a bruised calf in training last week.

But all eyes will be on John McGreal's progress, with manager Joe Royle desperate for him to pass fit in time for the trip to Derby on Saturday.

With Richard Naylor suspended, Gerard Nash and Aiden Collins both injured, McGreal represents Town's strongest option to fill that gap.

McGreal has not had any first-team action since last February and has struggled with a series of injuries during the summer, so how he gets through the majority of tonight's game is a major concern.

The fast-progressing Scott Mitchell also features tonight and is likely to keep his place in the first-team squad and has an outside chance of making his debut at Pride Park.

The 18-year-old is a versatile defender who has shone in recent reserve games, including the 3-0 win at Watford last week, where McGreal opened the scoring with a header.

Town manager Royle will be at the reserves but will first spend an hour from 5.45 at Planet Blue signing copies of the newly-launched Management Game and all supporters are welcome to pop along.

Ipswich Town Reserves: Price, Synnott, Barron, Murray, McGreal, Mitchell, Reuser, Bloomfield, Armstrong, Bowditch, Bent, Abidallah, Supple, Flack, Craig, Manning and Atay.

n The first-team game with Nottingham Forest will now be played on Wednesday, December 3 at 7.45pm. The original fixture scheduled for December 15, will be called off due to international call-ups.