Town boss Mick McCarthy believes any club would suffer from having four of their best and most creative players unavailable for long periods of the season, as the Blues have during 2015/16.

Teddy Bishop made his first senior start of the campaign during Saturday’s 3-2 victory over the MK Dons having suffered with a series of injuries, while David McGoldrick only recently returned to action after the torn hamstring he suffered in December. The Republic of Ireland international's goal during Saturday's game was his first since August.

Ryan Fraser - who was back at Portman Road to join the end of season lap of appreciation following the MK Dons match - has been with his parent club AFC Bournemouth recovering from a hamstring problem since February, the loanee's second stint on the sidelines.

Latterly, Daryl Murphy has been out with a calf problem, having never hit the same heights this season as he did during his remarkable 2014/15 campaign when he top scored in the Championship with 27 goals.

“What’s he scored 10? He got 27 last season. I think missing 17 goals speaks for itself, doesn’t it really?” McCarthy said.

“He is such a difficult player for the opposition to deal with. He not only scores his goals, he creates goals because he is such a threat with his power and pace.”

The Town boss says any team would suffer from having so many of their key players missing with his old club Wolves - who are 14th this season having finished seventh a year ago - having similarly lost players this season.

“It would have an adverse effect on any of them,” McCarthy added. “If you look at where I came from, Wolves, they lost Nouha Dicko [injured], Bakary Sako [joined Crystal Palace], Jordan Graham [injured] and Benik Afobe [joined Bournemouth].

“They’re a similar team and I know their fans aren’t happy and they’re getting a bit of grief.

“Losing those four, they can’t get like for like and I’m afraid I can’t get like for like in terms of loans or signings for Ryan Fraser, Teddy Bishop, Didz and Murph. It’s just not going to happen.

“But I’ve not complained about it because there’s no point. We always make do with the best we’ve got and make the best of it.”

McGoldrick and Bishop have given glimpses of what Town fans have missed while they have been out of action and will hopefully see more regularly next season, but McCarthy says their ability is allied with hard work, which he feels is a sometimes underrated quality.

“When you’re not playing well hard work gets so undermined and it’s almost like it’s a dirty word,” he said.

“I was discussing this earlier. Didzy gets his chances and he plays better when he works hard.

“I was talking about the Bayern Munich team that had the two wingers, Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben, and their coach who won the treble [Jupp Heynckes] left them out.

“When he was asked why he said, ‘Because you don’t track back and you don’t do all the dirty stuff’.

“And we’re talking about Robben and Ribery, who are arguably the best wingers in the world, certainly two of the best.

“What is wrong with it? They have got that sprinkling of stardust, but unless they work they don’t play in the team.

“And I loved that, that a top coach, a top manager who has won everything says to two of them, ‘You don’t run, you’re not playing’ in no uncertain terms.

“And do you know what they did? They started running around and tracking back and doing all the dirty work.

“So, if we can add Didzy and Bish doing all that and their sprinkling of stardust, which they quite clearly have - and we had Ryan Fraser doing it as well, it was lovely to see him today, he’s another one who worked his socks off which was probably why he ended up tearing his hamstring as badly as he did - they would add that but they don’t add it unless they’re running around and working hard like everybody else.”

Photo: Action Images

blue75 added 17:57 - May 2 A lot of talk about Fraser missing what the hell are we going to do he's not our player!!!
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essex57 added 20:28 - May 2 Sorry Essex boy meant to mark you up
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essexboy added 20:39 - May 2 You will be.😃
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braveblue added 20:59 - May 2 The real problem was the rubbish he signed and then said he had no need for replacements. Too late to change the story now. He got it wrong big time. Murphy will not score over 20 again. Didz and Bishop will be injured at some points of next season. Manage it!!
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TimmyH added 21:12 - May 2 Yawn!...just knew Mick would be coming out with this, just surprised it's come out maybe a week early. Bish and Fraser have been missed and lets face it Murpy and McG are now probably not the players they were, if you can remember even last season McG looked half the player he was but saying that still think he can do a job for us holding the ball up and trying to be positive with feet (on the deck). Any team worth their salt and ambitious would have gone in for a top quality loanee in the January transfer window for some sort of cover but did we?...uuurrmm no. Oh yes MM said he couldn't get any players to improve on the ones we had, highly debatable.

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Gcon added 22:13 - May 2 Essexboy - Apologies if I misunderstood your post. Blueherts - Indeed, clarity from the owner regarding his ambitions and intentions is much needed. Hiding in the shadows is really not helping. We are going to finish 7th or 8th, the owner has finally alluded to maybe spending some money, we have seen some promising young talent over the last week or so - it's not all doom and gloom. Well, until you read the comments on here. Those that want MM out - It's not going to happen, unless he leaves of his own accord, so it might be time to tone down the vitriol and we can start to collectively look to the season ahead with hope in our hearts.

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warktheline added 07:40 - May 3 Bishop appears to be injury prone. Mcgoldrick is injury prone. Fraser isn't our player. Murphy is past his best. So how is the club going to address these issues? More cast offs? I sincerely hope not, if we want to progress we need to invest in youth, and poach the best from lower divisions. This time next year I will read posts with much interest!!
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smithy0981 added 07:50 - May 3 There is no doubt somethings needs to change, whether that is a change of manager or some real investment into the squad. But I just wanted to sign off this season with at least something to look forward to and and that is the youngsters coming through. I am not sure what every body else thought and I know it was only MK Dons but I thought emmanuel & kenlock played quite well on Saturday and with dozzel and obviously bishop I am quite excited about the academy :o)

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offtonblue added 15:47 - May 3 All seem to agree the style of play is poor. Will MM change even if his so called quality players are available it probably not. I believe the team are capable of playing well but the coaching is lacking. Perhaps we may have to wait for a few more youngsters to make the breakthrough and hope M M will give them a good run. I think we could use an experienced premiership player to bring them along. But and there's always a but who on earth would want to come to Ipswich Town with the present style of play. They have done reasonably well this season but one can't help but feel it could have been so much better. The supporters have been brilliant especially at away matches. Well done to you all roll on next season eh.

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grubbyoik added 17:19 - May 3 Essex57.. How can you mark me down for my post.. It was neither for or against the article.. It's just a saying..
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essex57 added 19:27 - May 3 Correct me if im wrong i find your post adds nothing to the general topic being discussed. Gubbyoik.
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