Young professionals Danny Batth and Ashley Hemmings will get another chance to shine after being named as confirmed starters in tonight's first team friendly at Reading.
Boss Mick McCarthy has already named his starting eleven for the trip to the Madejski Stadium (kick off 8pm), and Batth and Hemmings have been given the chance to follow up on their impressive displays in last week's senior friendly with Walsall.
"I've always had a liking for the pair of them," said Mick.
"And like anyone else it's very much in their hands.
"Players might say 'the gaffer doesn't pick me'.
"Well the gaffer doesn't pick them because they're not playing well or not doing things right or their attitude isn't right.
"That applies everywhere.
"It's a much bigger game for Ashley and Danny than Walsall was.
"It's a much better test and we should learn something more about them."
Batth will line up alongside Richard Stearman in the centre of defence with Kevin Foley and George Elokobi as full backs in front of Carl Ikeme.
The boss has plumped for a midfield of Adlene Guedioura, Karl Henry, Dave Edwards and Ashley Hemmings and a front pairing of Sam Vokes and Reading old boy Kevin Doyle.
Other senior players will be involved from the bench - and Ronald Zubar is back in the squad following his ankle injury - but several who have already had a fair amount of pre-season football won't be making the trip.
"Some won't travel - Jody Craddock and Christophe Berra won't having played the whole game in Belgium, Jelle van Damme and probably Marcus Hahnemann," added Mick.
"Nenad (Milijaš) will travel and he'll play some part of the game.
"I think he's as fit as when he left - he's done his testing and although he hasn't played any football for three weeks, he was involved in the World Cup all summer."
Steven Mouyokolo returned to full training yesterday and has a chance of being ready to travel for the games with Leeds and Hearts while Wayne Hennessey is set to return to training on Thursday having missed the trip to Belgium with a back strain.
TEAM: Ikeme; Foley, Stearman, Batth, Elokobi; Guedioura, Henry, Edwards, Hemmings; Vokes, Doyle. SUBS (from): McCarey, Halford, Hill, Keogh, Fletcher, Ebanks-Blake, Jarvis, Jones, Davis, Milijaš, Zubar, Winnall.
