Stewart missing for Town
Mick McCarthy will be looking to get off to a fast start when big-spending Fulham visit Portman Road in this season's Championship opener, but former Hull midfielder Cameron Stewart will be missing for up to six weeks after picking up a fractured jaw in a friendly match against Leyton Orient.
The Tractor Boys have lost Aaron Creswell to West Ham since finishing in ninth place last term but shrewd Yorkshireman McCarthy has tried to make the most of the B#3.75million brought in by that transfer.
Manchester City youngster Alex Henshall and Jonathan Parr of Crystal Palace look exciting additions, goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski arrives from Notts County, with midfielder Kevin Bru coming in from Levski Sofia and Balint Bajner being recruited from Borussia Dortmund as McCarthy searched far and wide for bargain buys.
However, midfielder Stephen Hunt is sidelined, while Parr, Tommy Smith and Paul Anderson are slight doubts for the Cottagers clash, but David McGoldrick has recovered from a knee ligament injury suffered against Blackpool back in February.
Fulham boss Felix Magath could hand a debut to Ross McCormack.
McCormack's arrival raised eyebrows during the summer, with the Cottagers reportedly paying around B#11million for him, and the former Leeds striker will hope to start repaying that figure against Mick McCarthy's men.
Magath may call upon a number of other summer arrivals as his new-look Fulham side look to make an immediate return to the Barclays Premier League.
Former Schalke defender Tim Hoogland is expected to feature, having already played under the German boss, while Kay Voser, Thomas Eisfeld and Konstantinos Stafylidis will also hope to be involved.
Source: PA
