Town boss Jim Magilton could have skipper Gareth McAuley and left-back Ben Thatcher available again when the Blues travel to Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday. The pair are due back in Friday training after suffering with dead legs.

Magilton feels the display against Southampton in midweek was a positive one despite his side not claiming all three points: "It was disappointing not to win at St Mary's, but one of the plus points was how well we ended the match playing at full throttle and looking for the three points.

"Last season we would have settled for a draw, but now we have more options on the bench with our larger squad and we must take the benefit from this to Sheffield Wednesday.

"After tomorrow's match we have three home games, including the Carling Cup match with Wigan, and three points against the Owls will provide a perfect platform to get the best out of our upcoming home advantage.

"We should have won all three of our away games this season and had opportunities to do that.

"The anger and frustration from not seeing out the win at Southampton is in the players and hopefully it will come out tomorrow and they will go at the throats of Wednesday.”

Richard Wright will continue in the Town goal with Moritz Volz at right-back. Gareth McAuley may be recalled ahead of Pim Balkestein at centre-half depending on the Northern Irishman's fitness, while Richard Naylor is likely to keep his place despite suffering a knock in the incident which led to Southampton's second goal. Alex Bruce is likely to be in the squad but seems unlikely to receive a recall to the side.

In midfield, Alan Quinn is set to continue on the left, while there may be a change or two in the centre with Veliche Shumulikoski impressing from the bench against the Saints.

The Macedonian took over from Tommy Miller at St Mary's, so could replace him again at Hillsborough, although Owen Garvan may be in line for a rest after playing three full games since last Tuesday. Iván Campo could also be vying for a central midfield role.

David Norris was fine after Wednesday's game and is likely to keep his place in the side. At St Mary's, the former Plymouth man started wide in a midfield four, but moved into the centre soon after the start as the Blues switched to a five with Jon Walters taking on the wide role.

That flexibility is likely to see Walters and Jon Stead again making up the rest of the side with Pablo Couñago, Kevin Lisbie and perhaps Danny Haynes amongst the substitutes.

Sheffield Wednesday boss Brian Laws says Magilton has made some decent acquisitions over the summer: "Ipswich are a good side, they've made real positive changes this year. They're certainly one of the clubs that last year had finances to go out and spend.

"This year they've gone and done it. They've acquired Jon Stead and brought in some good players in the summer and their expectation levels are increasing every week that goes by.

"They had a great home record last year. The away form was a bit 'wavy', if they get that right then they've got a combination and they can go and do really, really well this year.

"But Ipswich are Ipswich. It's Sheffield Wednesday that we're talking about. It is how and what we turn up that will determine how good they are."

Wednesday, who were thrashed 6-0 by Reading on Tuesday and currently sit one point and one place above the Blues in 13th, will be without long-term absentees defender Richard Hinds (broken leg) and striker Akpo Sodje (knee tendon damage), while full-back Frank Simek is on his way back after an ankle operation but won't be ready to face the Blues.

Skipper Steve Watson missed the Reading game but is likely to return, while defender Mark Beevers is a doubt due to a hamstring injury.

Wednesday have had the better of the Blues historically, winning 16 games (15 in the league), Town coming out on top in 14 (13) with five (four) matches ending in draws.

Last season, Jim Magilton's side did the double over the Owls, Alans Quinn and Lee scoring for the Blues at Hillsborough with Marcus Tudgay netting in between for Wednesday.

At Portman Road on the opening day of 2007/08, two goals from Lee (one pen) and one each from Gary Roberts and Pablo Couñago saw Town to a 4-1 win, Leon Clarke scoring a consolation for the Owls.

Town manager Jim Magilton faces one of his old sides for the second time in a week, the Blues boss having left Hillsborough for Portman Road in 1999, a year after departing Southampton.

Midfielder Alan Quinn was also at Wednesday during Magilton's time in South Yorkshire and is the only player to have scored for both the Owls and Sheffield United in the Steel City derby. Alex Bruce spent time on loan at Wednesday when a Birmingham player.

Brian Laws's squad currently includes former Town loanee Franny Jeffers, who returned to action after his latest injury in midweek, while winger Jermaine Johnson had a trial at Portman Road in 2001.

Tickets for the game will be available to Town fans on the Hillsborough turnstiles.

Saturday's referee is Mike Jones, who took control of his first Premier League match, Wigan's 5-0 defeat of Hull, at the end of August. The Chester-based official has shown nine yellow and one red card in five games so far this season.

Jones's last Town game was the superb 2-1 home victory over Norwich City in April. The 40-year-old also took charge of last season's defeats at Watford and Stoke, when he sent Jim Magilton to the stand for complaining about Stoke's use of the multi-ball system, as well as the Leeds game the previous season when the match was halted late on due to the pitch invasion by home supporters.

Likely squad: R Wright, Supple, Volz, D Wright, Thatcher, McAuley, Naylor, Bruce, Balkestein, Garvan, Miller, Campo, Shumulikoski, Norris, Quinn, Walters, Stead, Couñago, Haynes.

Photo: Action Images

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