ROY Keane has a predicament. Stick with the same starting XI or recall Carlos Edwards to the side?

Carl Marston

Ipswich soccer, team news

By Carl Marston

ROY Keane has a predicament. Stick with the same starting XI or recall Carlos Edwards to the side?

The Ipswich Town boss has so far selected the same team only once in his short reign at Portman Road. The Irishman kept faith with the same side that drew 3-3 at Sheffield United, only to suffer an agonising defeat at Barnsley in the next fixture.

“We have no fresh injuries whatsoever,” revealed Keane ahead of tonight's home game against Watford.

“All my starting XI did well on Saturday, so I might stick with the same side.

“But Carlos Edwards will come back into the squad. He has done well since he's been at the club.

“I was tempted to put him on the bench on Saturday, but it usually takes two or three days to recover from internationals, especially the travelling.

“He'll only be in light training before the match,” added Keane.

Right winger Edwards only touched down on English soil on Friday morning, after his most recent exploits with Trinidad & Tobago.

The 30-year-old rattled up his 77th and 78th caps in the World Cup qualifiers against Costa Rica (4-0 defeat) and Mexico (2-2 draw) last week.

Keane recalled David Wright to the side over the weekend, for the first time since the Carling Cup defeat at Peterborough nearly two months ago, and he responded with a sound display in the 1-1 draw against Swansea.

Wright operated at left-back, and it would be harsh to leave him out of tonight's encounter. In fact, Town's back four looked more solid than possibly at any other time this season.

“David Wright is a good example for other players who are out of the side at the moment,” insisted Keane.

“He's back in the team on merit; it's not that we have a lot of injuries. He has kept his head down. He did very well on Saturday.”

Town's manager was more concerned with Town's missed chances - Pablo Counago, Jon Walters and Liam Trotter all could have scored - than his back-line.

“It's been frustrating, because we created four or five really good chances in the second half against Swansea,” confirmed Keane.

“I thought we looked more solid at the back.

“To go 12 games without a win is frustrating for everyone, including players, supporters, the staff and myself. But it's not about me and how I feel.

“I could not fault my players on Saturday, apart from them not taking their chances. The players have showed good desire.

“But give me the same number of chances against Watford, and I'd take it, because we should score from two of them.

“The last three or four games we have been better, particularly since the Newcastle game (4-0 home defeat) when we were very poor.

“And we have looked better going forward. Maybe it was good goalkeeping (from Swansea's Dorus De Vries) or poor finishing from us, I don't know. Their keeper made some good saves.”

Asmir Begovic, recruited on a three-month loan from Portsmouth, should retain his place in goal following his debut against the Swans. The Bosnian international had little chance with Craig Beattie's early goal, and otherwise had very little to do.

But Richard Wright, who was surprisingly left out of the squad altogether, should at least return on the bench.

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