Loan keeper David Stockdale has returned to his parent club Fulham after their first-choice glovesman Mark Schwarzer was ruled out for up to six weeks due to a neck injury. The Cottagers inserted a 24-hour recall clause in the deal when Stockdale joined the Blues on a season-long loan in the summer.

Yesterday, Fulham boss Martin Jol appeared hopeful that the Australian veteran’s problem wasn’t too serious and that he would be fit enough to play in this evening’s Europa League game against Danish side Odense. However, after the 39-year-old saw a specialist, he was diagnosed with a compression injury to his thoracic spine, which will keep him out for four to six weeks, leading to the decision to bring Stockdale back from Town.

The 26-year-old could return to Portman Road in January on a half-season loan if and when Schwarzer is fit with Stockdale understood to have been happy with the Blues.

Richard Wright could come back into the Town side for Saturday’s home match against Derby with the ex-England man close to a recovery from his shoulder injury. If not, Arran Lee-Barrett will start with US U20 international keeper Cody Cropper on the bench.

Stockdale, who was spotted out celebrating Christmas with Town’s other keepers in Woodbridge last night, made 18 appearances for the Blues, conceding 35 goals.

Photo: Action Images

Crock added 18:49 - Dec 14 Richard Wright is just as good so it doesnt really matter.
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neillrumsey added 18:50 - Dec 14 Stockdale has been a rock. Excellent shot stopper and excellent communicator with a rocky defence for protection. All the best for the future. Time to sign a keeper urgently. Back up not good enough albeit ALB did very well @ Burnley. He must get the nod against the Rams.
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Suffolk_n_Good added 19:06 - Dec 14 Bugger..... So thats the spine ripped out of our team then, (Stockdale gone, Collins off after Sat, Andrews moving onto better things in Jan)....... Maybe now PJ,ME,SC, can FINALLY see that you can't build a team around loan players....
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h32 added 19:17 - Dec 14 Muppets tend to forget all too easily - Stockdale has had the 'worse' defence in the Football League to cover behind. Just a reminder to the people who have the audacity to knock him. He's not the finished article, but he is now Fulham's first choice I guess, and Englands No 3 - therefore MORE than adquate for the Championship in my book.
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Mark added 19:28 - Dec 14 Disappointing, but the day had to come and I am surprised we kept him this long to be honest. I think we'll cope until January with Wright, Lee-Barrett and Cropper, but I would like to see a quality replacement sign permanently in January. The question is, will the funding be there for transfers?
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theblueginger added 19:32 - Dec 14 Just when we thought we were headed for (another) new dawn.... sh1t. The best keeper weve had in several years by a distance.
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muhrensleftfoot added 19:37 - Dec 14 I expect Stockdale will have a bad back from bending over picking the ball out of the net. At least we've given him loads of practice
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theblueginger added 19:38 - Dec 14 A prem grade keeper, if not an England international.
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robboo92 added 19:39 - Dec 14 I'm just hitting form.
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stinkiusminkius added 19:40 - Dec 14 Moan moan moan. Some moan about having a recall clause, some moan that he wasn't that great anyway, some moan that they dont think the 2 replacements are up to the job. Blimey, there are a lot of whingers on here - bitter, sad people with nothing better to do than sit on a computer and moan at every opportunity. Such support. But well done to those that tried to see positives and some hope about this situation. COYB.

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bluearmy4life added 19:46 - Dec 14 Fudging hell. With all the loan players due to be going back to there parent clubs my word do we need to spend some WONGA. GK, RB, CB X2, MF, STRIKER. Need youth blended in the side. I say we need to spend around 4-5 million to have a chance of the play-offs next season at least.
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dalianwasexciting added 20:09 - Dec 14 Stockdale has made some decent saves but all too often was left exposed by woeful defending. Richard Wright can do a job for Town, he was exposed by similarly inept defending against Reading, but he does shout at his defence and try and organise them. The biggest shame is the loss to the club and football of Shane Supple who without RK's terrible man - management skills could well have been towns No.1 for now and the future.

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jas0999 added 20:14 - Dec 14 No problem - the manager of the football club knew this could happen back in August and stated he was working on a back-up. No doubt, being December now - that's all in place ... then again perhaps this is yet another error from PJ. Hopefully we will win on Saturday and then another 5 straight wins to follow - just to cancel out the humiliating run of 7 straight defeats. Saturday - second half - was excellent, but PJ still has much to prove.

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h32 added 20:23 - Dec 14 One condition of being an ITFC fan - not allowed to 'moan' about anything - everything has to be seen as totally acceptable - whatever.
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TimmyH added 20:30 - Dec 14 We could of had Fatty Faulkes or Peter Schmichael in goal it wouldn't have mattered when at times we have had such a dreadful defence, whats the bets now our defence starts to play better and the goalkeeper makes howlers! Whoever makes it between the sticks - best of luck.
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manualthetisfanclub added 20:38 - Dec 14 Good luck dave,thanks for your efforts,good luck for the future.As for itfc don't have any faith in ol jug ears,watford game prooved that! Alb won't let us down!jewell in desperate need of new perm nb 1,not sure he can get one in jan though,can only see another short term loanee!!!
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tractorboy2434 added 20:43 - Dec 14 keeper is the least of our worries, as for having too many loans that is what clubs do to fill the gaps when they cannot sign players permanently, there is no money and with gates falling expect more of the same come January.
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bobble added 20:44 - Dec 14 he has let a lot of goals in lets see if we let in less now hes gone
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manualthetisfanclub added 20:46 - Dec 14 Oopps ment reading game not,watford,to many sh##te performances got muddled up!
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Lightningboy added 20:54 - Dec 14 Good job this has happened 2 weeks before the jan transfer window and not 2 weeks after it...maybe now we can go out and hopefully find a permanent GK to compete with Wrighty & ALB. Cheers David for the time you were here.
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betabob added 21:01 - Dec 14 Time to get behind our home grown talent rather than slate them all the time.. Yes, I would liked to have seen Stockdale stay but he was never going to sign for us so maybe the sooner he leaves the better.. good luck to him and good luck to Lee Barrett, who has the makings of a quality keeper (remember goal keepers have a longer life span)
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Dissboyitfc added 21:10 - Dec 14 He didnt sound too sad to me about leaving ipswich, anyway david good luck and all the best in your career, we wont be seeing him again, was a really good shot stopper. Now can we stop getting in loan players and start to really build a team, loan players seldom work out, there are a few notable exceptions, Jim magilton springs to mind as one......COYB
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runaround added 21:13 - Dec 14 That's a bit of a blow, would hope PJ will be looking toward a replacement in January as ALB is only good for a couple of matches historically before falling to bits whilst Plug, although extremely capable at this level, is generally lacking both fitness and match fitness. That said his sprinting style versus Reading was possibly the funniest thing i've ever seen on a football pitch

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TractorJed added 21:18 - Dec 14 Surely this is not completely bad news??? We all moan about the loano's and now we may be forced into looking at a long term option between the sticks. Granted RW & ALB may have to play for next couple of weeks but PJ now has to seriously consider a long term solutions, ditto centre back.
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itfchorry added 21:22 - Dec 14 Shame that Clegg's not on loan
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