IPSWICH Town manager Jim Magilton today said that none of his players had a divine right to be in his team for tomorrow's home match against Cardiff City.

Elvin King

IPSWICH Town manager Jim Magilton today said that none of his players had a divine right to be in his team for tomorrow's home match against Cardiff City.

The Blues' boss was unhappy with his team's display in their 2-0 Coca-Cola Championship defeat at bottom of the table Colchester on Saturday.

And he says he would like to freshen up for tomorrow's key game that could see Town keep alive their play-off hopes.

Magilton said: “Nobody who performed on Saturday has a divine right to be selected for tomorrow.

“They know that their showing was not acceptable.

“But I also have to look at their form in their previous 38 games when overall we have done well to keep our hopes of promotion still alive at this late stage of the season.

“If we collect six points from tomorrow and at home to Norwich on Sunday then I will be very pleased.

“We will be right back in the midst of the hunt. If we are still in with a chance of the play offs going into our last match at home to Hull City then the players will have done me proud.”

Magilton revealed that his players had a heart to heart meeting in the Colchester dressing room after Saturday's game and he added: “What happens inside the four walls of a dressing room are the most important thing of any football club.

“It is the players who will decide at the end of the day whether we go up - not me.

“Once they go over the white line whatever preparation we have given them has been completed and it is then up to the individuals who are wearing the shirt.”

The Town players have watched a video of the game against Colchester and have held their hands up and admitted that they under achieved, and Magilton added:

“We did not function well at all as a team. Our back four did not play well, the midfield did not take a grip of the game and our strikers did not hold up the ball.

“We were lacklustre, and Colchester did not have to do very much to win.

“We must ensure, with the help of our home support tomorrow, that we step up a gear or two and collect the points.”

Magilton will not be able to call on the injured David Norris or Shefki Kuqi tomorrow and they will both - along with Jonathan Walters - be having scans on their injuries at the end of the week.

Magilton is hoping that Norris and Kuqi will be available for selection for the home derby against Norwich City on Sunday when striker Pablo Counago will be returning from suspension.

Magilton did not give anything away about the changes he will make but Tommy Miller is now fully fit and a candidate to start in midfield with the Town boss adding: “Saturday's performance was an insight for me as part of my learning curve as a manager.

“I learned more from this than I would have done if we had won.

“It would be nice to freshen up the side, and of course our fans can have an input. When Portman Road is rocking it is a great place to play.”