IPSWICH Town will have four-goal Alan Lee back in action when they resume their Coca-Cola Championship schedule at West Brom on Saturday week.The 28-year-old striker was troubled by a hamstring niggle in the 2-0 defeat at Watford at the weekend.

IPSWICH Town will have four-goal Alan Lee back in action when they resume their Coca-Cola Championship schedule at West Brom on Saturday week.

The 28-year-old striker was troubled by a hamstring niggle in the 2-0 defeat at Watford at the weekend.

It tightened up before the game, and Lee was withdrawn during the second period.

But Town coach Bryan Klug said today: “We are working with Alan and he is making good progress.

“It is not a long-term worry and he should be fit to take his place at The Hawthorns.”

The Town players are having a couple of days off this week, with no loan signings until after the West Brom contest.

Manager Jim Magilton has a Premier League defender he can bring in, but the player's parent club would expect the player to play regularly.

With Jason De Vos and Alex Bruce doing well at the back Magilton is happy to keep this possible loan signing on the back burner.

A versatile Premier League young defender is also in Town's sights, but with Fabian Wilnis back from suspension after the visit to The Hawthorns there is going to be no rush on this either.

Magilton has shown no interest in defender Fitz Hall, who is believed to be available on loan from Wigan.

West Ham have players that they could be persuaded to loan out and this could be a more likely source of any future Ipswich moves.

Klug admits Town were well below their best in the 2-0 defeat at Watford but has seen enough from the squad on the training ground to be optimistic.

He said: “I can see the players coming together better as a unit and that will help our performances in certain areas.

“We know we need to improve our away form and a solid unit will certainly help that.

“We were well below our best at Watford and there has to be a big improvement on that performance over the rest of the season.

“There will be highs and lows along the way but from what I have seen day-in and day-out working with players, we are moving forward.”

Owen Garvan and Billy Clarke are this week training with the Republic of Ireland Under-21 squad with a match against Portugal at Cork on Friday.

Young England defender Tommy Smith is back home after Germany knocked the Lions out of the FIFA Under 17s World Cup at the quarter-final stage in Japan.

N (SQUARE) HOW vital is Alan Lee to any Ipswich success this season? Have your say. Write to sports desk, Evening Star, 30, Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN or e-mail starsport@eveningstar.co.uk.