Making up for McCarthy the key

Having not won at Ipswich since 1988, it is perhaps not the ideal time for Leicester City to be missing their inspirational centre-back Paddy McCarthy through the first game of a two-match suspension.

City manager Rob Kelly believes the Championship clash at Portman Road tomorrow will be the ‘toughest yet’ of his stint in charge and losing his stand-in skipper won’t make it any easier.

Patrik Gerrbrand is likely to replace the Irishman as partner to Patrick Kisnorbo in what could well be an otherwise unchanged side.

Who they’ll be up against is uncertain because Ipswich, still chasing a play-offs place, have been struggling to find a strike force.

They were helped in midweek by the granting of a belated work permit for month-long loan signing Ricardo Fuller from Southampton.

The six-foot-plus striker seems sure to play and pose a threat because, although having notched only three goals in 16 matches since his £90,000 transfer to the Saints from Portsmouth he grabbed 27 League goals in 57 games during his Championship spell at Preston from 2002/2004.

Now Ipswich manager Joe Royle’s problem is who to play alongside Fuller with joint top scorer Sam Parkin, summer signing Nicky Forster, Republic of Ireland international Alan Lee and midfield marksman Jimmy Juan all ruled out.

Teenager Danny Haynes or centre-back Richard Naylor are the likely options.

Leicester meanwhile report that Richard Stearman (ankle) and Ryan Smith (thigh) are both likely to be fit and Henderson is expected to continue as goalkeeper in the absence through injury of Rab Douglas.



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