On-loan Manchester City man Bersant Celina may have to wait for his full Championship debut having missed training this week due to a dead leg.

The 21-year-old Kosovo international had been widely tipped to make his first league start for the Blues against Bolton tomorrow having scored a stunning goal after coming on as a sub in last week’s 2-1 defeat at QPR.

“He’ll be in the squad, he’ll be joining us at one o’clock like everybody else,” manager Mick McCarthy confirmed.

Quizzed on whether it’s difficult to get Celina, who Bolton were also keen to sign in the summer, into his team alongside his other attacking players, he added: “It is a bit tricky, but it’s tricker still when he does score on Saturday and I’m expecting him to play 90 minutes on Monday [for the U23s] and he doesn’t train until Thursday because he’s got a dead leg.

“That hinders his chances. Coming on and doing what he did enhances them, being injured until Thursday hinders them.

“And it is difficult because we’ve had Waggy on the pitch and Freddie on the pitch and Didz and Garns.

“I think Bersant’s position when he played at Luton might be the best one for us, where he’s got a bit of a free role behind the striker.

“He didn’t come in as that, he came in as a wide left and he scored his goal from there on Saturday, and it’ll depend on how we’re playing as to how easy it is to get him in the team.”

McCarthy left Freddie Sears out of his starting line-up at Loftus Road and he says the former Colchester and West Ham man took the decision in a professional manner.

“He did,” the Blues boss continued. “Freddie’s fantastic, he runs in behind teams, he stretches teams, he causes problems to them.

“But he is yet to score a goal and I can’t be accused of being fickle leaving [him] out, I think he went far more games than he has this season [without scoring previously].

“And, do you know what, I’ve got to try and play a team that’s well-balanced as opposed to having all the so-called best players in the team.”

Photo: TWTD

BobbyBell added 15:34 - Sep 15 If we don't give a talent like this a run out against the bottom club then something's wrong.
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muccletonjoe added 15:44 - Sep 15 I wouldn't play him if he hasn't trained until yesterday. We should have enough to beat Bolton without him and their will be very little excuses if we don't.
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Vic added 15:45 - Sep 15 BobbyB - Like SAR left out Jimmy grieves in the 66 WC finals. That didn't end well either if I remember rightly!
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Ferguson added 16:11 - Sep 15 I like Celina. He's no Paul Mariner, but there's a hint of a swagger there that I like to see in a striker. And yes I'd play him ahead of Sears. Wouldn't you ?
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12th_Man added 16:16 - Sep 15 I can see Man City recalling him soon
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christiand added 16:19 - Sep 15 The boy has a bit of star quality about him, play him even for 60 minutes if not fully fit. He's the type of player that will make a difference for us and we don't have many of those in our starting XI.
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OldClactonBlue added 16:23 - Sep 15 Any excuse. He'd play Skuse if he hadn't trained at all.
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essextractorboy93 added 16:35 - Sep 15 Difficult one, can see both sides of the argument especially as he hasnt trained much this week. On one hand he looks to have real natural ability and has shown a glimpse of that against QPR with his goal but hasn't done much in his other appearances so far. On the other hand if we play a 442 and Celina plays wide I'm not sure how much tracking back he will do and whether he is discliplined enough to start the game. Could be great to bring on as an impact though! COYB!

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leftie1972 added 16:47 - Sep 15 Give him the first 45, then have a rethink if it's not working or ihes a bit off the pace. I'd rather have him on first!
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midastouch added 17:04 - Sep 15 I'd rather Celina play hopping around on 1 leg rather than Skuse start with 2. ;-)
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midastouch added 17:06 - Sep 15 Being honest though, if he had to miss a game if he's not 100% fit it's not a bad fixture for him to have to sit out, at least on paper going by the league table, which is still by no means a certainty in this league!
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Nazemariner added 17:12 - Sep 15 It is unimaginable that Celina cannot get into a midfield that is as weak as ours. IMO he must also drop one of McGoldrick, Garner or Waghorn, rather than trying to shoehorn them into the same team.
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armchaircritic59 added 17:44 - Sep 15 I'm assuming what's known as a deadleg these days is different from what a deadleg was decades ago, when i was playing as a youngster. Then we just used to run it off, hopefully. If it didn't ease off, then we played on anyway! Perhaps someone can enlighten me!
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prebbs007 added 17:46 - Sep 15 Dinosaur tw&t. Celina is light years ahead of Sears Ward & pretty much any other wide player we have or you choose to play there. Yes he needs to fit into the system we are playing in any given match be he ain't at Man City for no reason and MUST be in the team. Stop talking BS as normal and drop the proper blokes who aren't good enough !!! Big test tomorrow as we regularly in the past have struggled to raise our game against teams we are "supposed" to beat eg Rotherham last season. Let's hope this is not another proverbial banana skin !!! COYB

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horsehollerer added 17:59 - Sep 15 If he's not 100% then I don't have a problem with having Freddy run around a lot in the first half while we try to win the inevitable battle, and then using Celina to exploit them in the second. Plenty of games coming up.
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SheptonMalletBlue added 18:26 - Sep 15 McCarthy full of cr*p as usual!
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oldegold added 20:04 - Sep 15 The word on the street is that Celina won't play but the good news is that Skuse will be available for selection tomorrow. Don't hold your breaths on Saturday as it will be more of the old pals' act. Black Dog tells me Celina will be a sub at the most as playing him and dropping Skuse would be an admission of McCarthy's utter failure to grasp that matches are win being adventurous and not boring the opposition to death...and the Town fans

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braveblue added 20:18 - Sep 15 Good excuse for Dino to keep him on the bench. If it was Skuse he would be straight in the team.
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jas0999 added 20:19 - Sep 15 Tomorrow is without doubt the easiest fixture of the season. There is very little need to play Skuse. It's attack only. Celina is a must.
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TimmyH added 20:29 - Sep 15 Why is it difficult Mick?...when you play a 4-3-3 you play him up front on the left, what's difficult about that?...oh I forgot you want a workhorse rather than a technically gifted player on the wing, maybe that's why during your tenure here wingers have by and large failed or brought infield to narrow the pitch down.
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Taricco_Fan added 21:22 - Sep 15 Any excuse.
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heathen66 added 22:19 - Sep 15 Of course he has picked up an injury. I think it is one of those ones Kevin Bru had to have after playing well the game before No nickname, no place Weve got Waggy on the pitch and Freddie on the pitch and Didz and Garns. Add to that Skusey, Chambo and Wardy there is no place for him
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Edmundo added 08:21 - Sep 16 It concerns me that MM is again going defensive after an adventurous first few games. We get Twotted by Fulham and suddenly he rips up the plan. Well, we got twotted by them at Christmas last year playing defensive rubbish so why the difference?
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Seasider added 09:17 - Sep 16 Nobody has picked up on Bersant Celina saying after the QPR game that he should play against the Trotters.If EADT poll is to be believed 95% of the fans agree,together with the 'pundits' McCarthy doesn't like that,just as he doesn't seem to like doing the obvious. This 'bloody minded' trait of our Manager,is one of the reasons why he has not been successful in achieving promotion for ITFC so far,and I doubt will in the future.Hope I am wrong.The same happened with Douglas last season.Similarly a Manager should not have favourites.I was once accused of this;but I went out of my way to treat all my staff equally. Others have rightly said that Skuse should note an automatic choice,together with Knudsen and Chambers who have never yet been dropped. McCarthy should make it clear that no player is undroppable.This would then give players like Kenlock, and others in the past who have been treated like him,more incentive.

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oldegold added 09:37 - Sep 16 Seasider: agree entirely with your post.MM is pig-headed and would seemingly go out of his way to spite and not do the bloody obvious. I know he is returning to his sterile and unproductive ways of "playing" football, which will cost us dearly. He will play his undroppables..and this will cost us once agin while he runs down his contract. The managerial change should have been made a long, long time ago as Don McLean once sang....

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