Keeper Dean Gerken is set to be out of action for at least a month with the shoulder injury he sustained in the closing stages of Saturday’s 3-0 defeat at Birmingham City.

The 30-year-old collided with James Vaughan and required lengthy treatment before seeing out the game’s final minutes.

“Gerks has seen a specialist in London and had a scan and he has suffered a partially torn ligament in his right shoulder,” physio Matt Byard told the club site.

“He will be reviewed again in two weeks and we are looking at a return at the earliest in four weeks if there are no setbacks in that time. It could be longer.”

In Gerken’s absence, Bartosz Bialkowski will come back into the side with Town's next match against Reading at Portman Road on Tuesday.

Bialkowski played in the FA Cup games with Portsmouth earlier in the month - and was in goal for the Capital One Cup tie at Manchester United in September - but his last league match was the 2-0 home victory over Burnley in August, having also started the opening two Championship fixtures.

Gerken subsequently established himself as Town's number one after Bialkowski was given compassionate leave to return home to Poland to be with his dying father.

Former Wales U19 international Michael Crowe, 20, is currently on loan at Braintree Town and can’t be recalled until February 7th, so Scotland U21 international Jonathan Henly, 21, who joined the Blues in August following a trial, is likely to be on the bench against the Royals, the club who released him last summer.

With neither Crowe nor Henly having played a Football League game, manager Mick McCarthy could look for more experienced cover as he did last season when Gerken suffered a knock and veteran former Sheffield United and Ireland keeper Paddy Kenny joined on a short-term deal.

Photo: Action Images

TractorClarke added 09:38 - Jan 28 What will be interesting is if Bart does really well and when Gerken is fit again does Mick put him back in and drop Bart again. If that does happen i will not be happy, i appreciate Gerks has done better of late however i still think Bart is the better keeper and the back four seem more comfortable with him in goal.
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SouperJim added 10:02 - Jan 28 Why does everyone think Gerks has been better recently? He was poor against Preston, looked terrible in the warm up, was bereft of confidence from the first whistle and awkwardly punched the first shot of the game which was a routine catch. Spent the rest of the game glued to his line yet again. Personally I think Gerks getting injured and Douglas suspended could be the tonic we need. Both have been real weak points in our side of late.

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BrettenhamBlue added 10:52 - Jan 28 More great news. Douglas out for 3 games. Gerken injured. Oar and Parr leave the club. I suppose we have a Coke and Digby.
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vanmunt added 12:26 - Jan 28 @souperjim Don't know what you have been watching as they have been a different class... or so I am told ;-)
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Fatboy added 12:52 - Jan 28 At least Bart will get a long enough run in the team to get some form and show what he can do. I think he was harshly dropped in the first place, but MM seems to have a different policy for the goalkeepers than the outfield players. This is probably because he doesn't see there as being much between the two 'keepers, so each one keeps his place in the team until he has to miss a game. Let's not forget that Bart started the season in the team.

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Gazelle added 13:19 - Jan 28 Feel a bit sorry for him, probably realises he'll have a job to get back in.
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Seasider added 16:04 - Jan 28 Fatboy-not sure if Mick does have a different policy for outfield players,because I think he sometimes keeps them in when not playing well. I remember him saying that he knows his best players,and tries to play them as often as he can. I do hope Bart does well after the way he was dropped;but we must remember he hasn't had a great deal of gametime this season compared to Gerks.

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