Page 12 - Josh Carson News Today

Town fell to their second home defeat in a week as Charlton defeated the Blues 2-1 at Portman Road. Addicks skipper Johnnie Jackson and ex-Town loanee Ricardo Fuller netted shortly after the break with a deflected Jason Scotland strike the Blues’ only reply.

Boss Roy Keane says he is weighing up what changes to make for tonight’s third round Carling Cup tie at Millwall (KO 7.45pm). The Blues manager has confirmed that keeper Brian Murphy will start, while Tamás Priskin could also come into the side with Connor Wickham and Jason Scotland perhaps dropping to the bench.

Roy Keane says Northern Irish U17 international midfielder Josh Carson could be involved in today’s Carling Cup tie at Millwall. Second-year academy scholar Carson was named amongst the subs for the first round match at Exeter earlier in the season but is yet to make his debut

Town manager Mick McCarthy hopes former Blues midfielder Josh Carson does well enough in the years to come to get back into the Championship, but says at the moment he’s not good enough to play at this level. The 20-year-old joined former loan side York City earlier this week, having left the Blues by mutual consent before the transfer window closed.

Former Blues boss and skipper Jim Magilton could be set for a return to management with Shamrock Rovers after Stephen Kenny was sacked by the Dublin side last night. Magilton, who has been out of work since leaving Australian club Melbourne Victory in April, is amongst the favourites to take over at the Airtricity Premier League side.

Jimmy Bullard could make his first start after his recent return to the Blues when Town take on Blackpool at Bloomfield Road on Saturday. The midfielder has been working on his fitness during the two-week international break, having come on as a sub against Leeds, and could be considered ready to go into the starting XI, along with new loan signing Danny Collins.

Blues boss Paul Jewell says skipper Grant Leadbitter told him that he wants to stay at Town when the two met to talk on Wednesday. Leadbitter, a Portsmouth target earlier in the summer, is out of contract next June with the Town manager desperate to avoid a repeat of the situation which saw David Norris and Gareth McAuley leave on free transfers at the end of the season after months of speculation about their futures.

Academy second-year scholar Gunnar Thorsteinsson was on target as Iceland’s U19s beat Estonia 4-0 in a home friendly this afternoon. Thorsteinsson, a midfielder or centre-half, netted his country’s third goal.

Town centre-half Tommy Smith and New Zealand beat New Caledonia 2-0 in a World Cup qualifier in Noumea this morning, avenging their 2-0 Oceania Nations Cup semi-final defeat to the Pacific Islanders earlier in the summer.

Town boss Paul Jewell says he won’t pick his team for Saturday’s game at Blackpool until he assesses the seven players who have been away on international duty this week. Keith Andrews and Damien Delaney have been with the Republic of Ireland, David Stockdale with England, Josh Carson with Northern Ireland, Tamás Priskin with Hungary, Carlos Edwards with Trinidad and Tobago and Jaime Peters with Canada.