Reds Manager David Flitcroft met with the press ahead of his side’s match at Ipswich on Friday.
For the second time in less than a week his side will perform in front of the television cameras, with the Reds looking for their first three away points of the season.
“Steeley’s still not 100 per cent,” said Flitcroft of goalkeeper Luke Steele. “He won’t be with us on Friday. It’s sort of one step forward, two back at the moment.
“Rammers (Peter Ramage) is coming on good and he’s three or four days in front.
“There’s a bit of contention over Paddy (McCourt). He had an injection on his hammy (hamstring) before the game on Saturday.
“It’s a case of just managing him through this injury.
“What I don’t want to do is play Paddy on Friday and him be out for four, six weeks.
“It’s important we don’t just see it for one game.”
Turning his attention to Ipswich, managed by Oakwell legend Mick McCarthy, Flitcroft said, “Mick’s been in there quite a while. They’re full of exactly what Mick says on the tin.
“They’ve got honesty, loyalty to each other and a great work ethic. They’ve got good players who are certainly playing as one and as a team.
“He’s got two players in form up front. (David) McGoldrick’s in form and he looks fit.
“It’s going to be a tough, head-on collision. But I’m looking forward to the game.
“I look at our away form and on paper it looks as bad as anything in the league. But when I go back to the Forest game, where we’re six minutes away from a draw – and Bournemouth and Blackpool and Leicester. We’ve got to turn that little bit of detail into something more tangible.
“I’m looking forward to us trying to pit our wits against a good Ipswich team.
“If I’m being really honest, I believe we can beat any team in this league.”
Regarding any potential ins and outs, the Reds boss is still keeping an eye out on the loan market for a left-sided defender.
“We’ve got that one loan signing left,” he said. “We’re still looking and monitoring. We’ve got irons in the fire.
“It’s always developing and moving but the loan market is a little bit dead at the minute.
“It’s been a lot slower than we predicted.
“John Cofie, Andrai Jones and Reuben Noble-Lazarus - I’d definitely look if it was the right mentor and right team, for them to go out and play.
"Progress and development's about players being in the right place. I think the experience for Reuben to go to a League One, League Two would be fantastic for him."
"Progress and development's about players being in the right place. I think the experience for Reuben to go to a League One, League Two would be fantastic for him."
