GEORGES Santos and Javier Sanchez Broto are expected to make their Blues debuts tonight when Ipswich Town start the first of three pre-season friendlies in Scandinavia.

GEORGES Santos and Javier Sanchez Broto are expected to make their Blues debuts tonight when Ipswich Town start the first of three pre-season friendlies in Scandinavia.

Santos has agreed a three-month contract with Town after Blues boss Joe Royle whisked him away from under the noses of a French club.

The former Grimsby, Sheffield United, West Bromwich Albion and Tranmere Rovers hardman met the squad at Gatwick yesterday morning but the inability of the airline to change the names on tickets in time meant he, and half a dozen of the party flew out late and arrived here in Trelleborg last night.

Royle was one of those who stayed behind but was delighted to land the French defender.

He said: “Georges and Javier should both play against Mjallby but the most important thing to get out of the game is fitness for the players.

“Of course it is good to win and we want to win, but seeing these new lads and getting the players to move on in terms of fitness is at this stage the most important thing. The accent will change as we get nearer the season.”

Broto was another involved in the mix-up but he won't let that affect him and he is looking forward to some action after impressing in training.

The players' kit was also left behind so the 15 players who arrived on the first flight thought they may miss out on an afternoon training session.

But Trelleborg IF, who Town play on Tuesday, came to the rescue and leant them some training kit so the depleted squad was able to do a light work-out in warm sunshine at the stadium.

The team embark on a two-hour coach trip this afternoon for their first game, followed by a trip over to Denmark on Sunday to meet Helsingor.

The third match is in Trelleborg against a combination of the commercial port's three teams on Tuesday.

AIF Mjallby are managed by Soren Kratz who won the Swedish championship while in charge at Hammarby and also had a short spell as boss at Helsingborgs IF, who Ipswich beat in the UEFA Cup two years ago.

Two years ago Mjallby lost out in the play-offs in their bid to reach the Allsvenskan, the equivalent of England's Premier League, then last year finished bottom of the Superetten.

They now top the Second Division of the Superetten, which is regionalised and they are in the South Galatbad section.

The 7,000 stadium with 3,100 seats is called Strandvallen in the seaside town of Hallevik on the east coast of Sweden off the Baltic Sea.

derek.davis@eadt.co.uk