Five of Murphy's nine appearances this season have come in the League Cup

Ipswich Town goalkeeper Brian Murphy and midfielder Shane O'Connor are both set for spells on the sidelines.

Murphy, 27, will be out for three months after breaking his ankle in training and will have to wait to find out if he requires surgery.

O'Connor, 20, has ruptured and dislocated his shoulder joint and is not expected to be back in action until early February.

The Irish pair have been fringe players for Town this season.

Murphy joined Ipswich in January and became Town's first-choice goalkeeper in the second half of last season.

But he has featured just nine times this term after the arrival of Hungarian international Marton Fulop from Sunderland in August.

Ipswich manager Roy Keane is likely to use Arran Lee-Barrett as Fulop's reserve.

The 26-year-old has made 13 appearances since signing for Town from Hartlepool in the summer of 2009.

O'Connor has rarely featured in Keane's plans this season but impressed in the 3-0 win over Leicester on Saturday, his fourth start of the campaign.

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