Blues boss Paul Jewell says he wants to add another central defender to his squad due to the number of injuries his centre-halves have suffered this season. Ibrahima Sonko is currently sidelined with a hamstring tear, while Damien Delaney recently underwent surgery on a stress fracture to his foot and Ívar Ingimarsson missed much of August and September with a thigh problem.

As a consequence, Jewell says he’ll be looking for other options: “I think centre-half is an area where we’ve suffered a bit with injuries - Ívar, Sonko and Damien.

“It’s a key area centre-half. When we had that good run we had Sonko and Danny Collins, who were solid, but we haven’t had that since Sonko came off against Millwall.

“When Sonko and Danny were there they were looking solid and we had a base to build on. In the last couple of games we haven’t had that and it’s an area that I have been looking at and where we are looking to try and improve.”

With Collins returning to Stoke after his loan spell in mid-December while Delaney will still be sidelined, the Blues boss could look at adding a loan player as cover prior to the deadline on Thursday 24th November.

Meanwhile, assistant manager Chris Hutchings says Town have been working on alternatives to the diamond formation in training and hints at a change of system at the City Ground at the weekend: "The diamond midfield has worked well for us in games but you've always got to have a Plan B and that's what we've been working on this week.

"You've always got to have other options and you will have to wait and see how we set up at Forest on Saturday!"

During the second half against Doncaster Lee Martin and Josh Carson were employed as wide midfielders, while the Blues could look to return to the five-man midfield with which they started the season and which Jewell employed for most of his games in charge during the last campaign.

Photo: Action Images

RetroBlue added 13:04 - Nov 17 Town should try and tempt St Ledger away from Leicester, where he has played only one or two games since joining them.
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hollywoodginge added 13:05 - Nov 17 I have always thought that when things aren't going well you should revert back to basics, 4-4-2. I think it's all becoming a bit over complicated especially with injuries and suspension forcing changes. Keep it simple.
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Tillz9 added 13:12 - Nov 17 Killgallon from Sunderland would be a good option.
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JimmyJazz added 13:19 - Nov 17 I wouldn't be surprised to see Leicester try and sign Jack Hobbs from Hull. Think Pearson will look to move some players on that he doesn't fancy
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TractorMan added 13:44 - Nov 17 Another CB in January equals the end for Smith or Delaney i'd assume. If, as it looks we keep Collins, it would leave Ingi and Sonko (with Collins and Sonko as first choice) - hopefully a youngish, and hate to use the phrase but hungry up and coming CB - and before anyone says that coud be Smith, he's proven he isn't up to it.
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Tiggs added 13:46 - Nov 17 Surprise, surprise... Jewell signed two players who have been injury prone for years and offered Delaney who is worse than awful when he is fit a new contract. When will people who read these pages see what is happening here. The squad has been weakened even further by a manager that really has no idea!!! I really fear that the Championship trap-door will get ever closer whilst Jewell and Hutchings are at the helm. Ask any Derby fan!!!!!!

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Tiggs added 13:49 - Nov 17 Oh, may I also add that Bowyer, Murphy, Thomas are also injury prone. I won't mention Ellington as I am sure he is just driving Jewell to the training ground because he is worse that useless!!!!!
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Tiggs added 13:55 - Nov 17 Oh, a final thought. Didn't Jewell let two young central defenders go at the start of the season? Marvellous.......
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Coastalblue added 14:03 - Nov 17 Your final thought just about sums up your knowledge Tiggs!
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TractorMan added 14:12 - Nov 17 Tiggs - he did let two young CBs go, who were proven not to be good enough for us. Look where they have both ended up as well - Eastman loaned out to L2 and Brown also in L2 and neither exactly doing very well (Brown has only made 2 appearances?) Brown was offered a 1 year extension too, but turned it down so Jewell wanted to give him a chance. Anyone who saw Eastman play would have seen he was too weak for a CB.

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Ted_DiBiase_Sr added 14:17 - Nov 17 Tiggs... Be quiet
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Tiggs added 14:24 - Nov 17 Idiots!!!!!
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petermorris added 14:49 - Nov 17 Butt plug is about right.
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RetroBlue added 15:28 - Nov 17 Tiggs = scummer , for sure !
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blue_jim added 15:30 - Nov 17 CB - killgallon wants a loan to a championship club to get regular football. Also bring in players who want to play for the club i.e. Peters, O'Connor, Hyam
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pazelle added 15:34 - Nov 17 We didn't get this many injuries when we had proper coaches. Like that spanish fella, he was an injury preventing genius. Still, it's important for PJ to work with his mates. Good pissups apparently! On a lighter note, I bloody hate loans what is a club like ours these days? A temp agency? Just stick a few bairns in the mixer, buy some dutch players and get XI players who give a crap! Loan players don't give a crepe mate, why should we pay to watch other teams' players? Are we supposed to cheer when a prem teams dregs bangs one in and winks at his agent? Football is going to hell like the USA sports, but it's an excellent exhibit of how capitalism is gonna fook up everything! Team for Forest: Prawn Stockdale Edwards, Ingimarsson, Collins, Cresswell Martin, Bullard/Leadbitter, Andrews, Carson Chopra, Priskin/JET. I'm keen to see if Jewell's got the balls to ever drop Leadbitter, or if he has a clause in his contract that states 'when hes fit, he HAS to play'. Why else is he captain? What if we lose to Forest 5-0? What sort of prematch preparation are this coaching team up to? We lose every game at half time! COYB

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tractorboybig added 17:22 - Nov 17 Sonko has helped but in all honesty is a liability and plans should be made without him. Collins if he stays is a one year option and immo is a dead loss. All in all the management of the defence and the central in particular is nothing short of criminal and has cost us promotion, hopefully not worse.
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RYITFC added 21:36 - Nov 17 Wabara can cover at centre back U21 international, I'm sure he has the quality for this level. As for the tactial side of things it will be refreshing to play with width and pace again. 451 can work, we just need to make sure we don't just lump it up to Chops and the midfield need to make runs to support him.
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Keaneish added 12:52 - Nov 18 Is it me or do the fans say something and then a week later Jewell and Hutchings say the same thing!? The plan B comment sums it up! RYITFC - Wabara is not good enough to play full back let alone centre back. Terrible at Millwall, terrible at Doncaster. He doesn't get a third shot at this level for me.
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