Ipswich Town manager Paul Lambert says he needs ‘at least three’ new signings to strengthen his injury-hit squad ahead of the new season.

East Anglian Daily Times: Paul Lambert during the Ipswich Town open day training Picture: ROSS HALLSPaul Lambert during the Ipswich Town open day training Picture: ROSS HALLS (Image: Archant)

The Blues greatly reduced their squad size following relegation to League One, with seven senior players released, six loans expiring and just three recruited - Tomas Holy, Luke Garbutt and James Norwood - thus far.

Toto Nsiala, Teddy Bishop and Tristan Nydam have all suffered significant injuries in pre-season, Jack Lankester has had a set-back with his recovery from a back issue, while Jon Nolan, Gwion Edwards, Alan Judge and Freddie Sears remain in the treatment room.

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Town have just one more warm-up game, at Cambridge United on Saturday, before the big kick-off at Burton the following weekend.

East Anglian Daily Times: Paul Lambert watches on during the Ipswich Town open day training Picture: ROSS HALLSPaul Lambert watches on during the Ipswich Town open day training Picture: ROSS HALLS (Image: Archant)

"We need, I think, at least three to come in," said Lambert. "We've identified lads and now it's over to (owner) Marcus (Evans) and (general manager of football operations) Lee (O'Neill) to try and get them in.

"The lads I've identified wouldn't be loans. It's over to the club now…"

Asked if he was confident of making those signings in time for the Burton trip, Lambert replied: "I would hope so. If it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen and we'll see what happens from there. But we need a wee bit of strengthening."

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When quizzed as to whether he had any frustrations over the process, the Blues boss left a long pause before saying: "Things annoy me, yeah. But that's part and parcel of football.

"As I've said before, it's a brilliant football club, and has a terrific fan base behind it, but things perhaps aren't going as quick as I would want them to go."

Has that been the same at every football club he's been at? Again, another long pause, this time accompanied by an awkward chuckle.

"Things don't exactly move massively quick, you know?" he said. "But listen, it's a great club, with great support behind it. You've seen today that the club is starting to get a generation of support behind it again.

"That side of things - season tickets, the community trust - is going really, really well.

"Ultimately though the team is really important for everybody to bounce off of.

"We've identified guys. Whether they come or not I don't know.

"We still need a bit of strengthening in certain areas."

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The Blues have been linked with Birmingham City right-back Joshua Dacres-Cogley, Lambert only saying: "Dear oh dear, we've had loads of people thrown at us - not just right-backs, loads of guys.

"I'm only involved a little bit in identifying who I think can help us, the rest is over to Marcus (Evans) and Lee (O'Neill)."

On current centre-back trialists James Wilson and Jon Guthrie, Lambert said: "The two have done well. James has been here a bit longer. We need to get a centre-half in - whether it's one of the lads here or someone else."

IPSWICH TOWN'S 2019 SUMMER TRANSFER WINDOW

INS (4): James Norwood (Tranmere, Bosman free), Tomas Holy (Gillingham, Bosman free), Luke Garbutt (Everton, loan), Adam Przybek (West Brom, free).

OUTS (14): Dean Gerken (released), Jordan Spence (released), James Bree (loan expired), Matthew Pennington (loan expired), James Collins (released), Jonas Knudsen (released, signed for Malmo), Callum Elder (loan expired), Trevoh Chalobah (loan expired), Tom Adeyemi (released), Grant Ward (released), Simon Dawkins (released), Ellis Harrison (Portsmouth, £500k), Will Keane (loan expired), Collin Quaner (loan expired).

IPSWICH TOWN FIRST TEAM SQUAD AS IT STANDS (26)

Bialkowski, Holy; Emmanuel, Donacien, Chambers, Nsiala, Woolfenden, Ndaba, Kenlock, Nydam; Judge, Skuse, Nolan, Bishop, Downes, Dozzell, El Mizouni, Huws; Edwards, Lankester, Rowe, Garbutt; Norwood, Jackson, Sears, Roberts.