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

RoyalAscotBlue added 12:44 - Sep 16 No idea why people have been talking about the manager returning to type recently? The only reason we played with more attacking options in the first few games was because nobody else was fit enough to play instead. It is what it is... we are 12 points nearer to safety, and we have 8 months left until his contract is up. Nothing more, nothing less.
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Bluetone added 13:20 - Sep 16 Celina was brought here for one primary reason to prop up falling season ticket sales as an exciting young player. Quote “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.” That word(s) "so-called" hides Dino's true feelings. The next time he picks a well balanced team with square pegs in square holes will be the day the porcine aviation display team will be seen performing an aerial display over Portman Road.

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