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Sky Bet Championship: Mick McCarthy expects to lose striker David McGoldrick

Ipswich manager Mick McCarthy
Image: Mick McCarthy: Concedes David McGoldrick may leave

Ipswich manager Mick McCarthy is preparing for life without David McGoldrick after the striker missed the 1-1 draw against Derby at the iPro Stadium.

McGoldrick has been linked with an £8million move to Leicester and was left out of the squad that fought back to earn a point after Derby striker Chris Martin celebrated agreeing a new four-year deal with the opening goal.

Martin pounced from close range in the 13th minute after Dean Gerken had saved his initial header, but County lost midfielder Jeff Hendrick with a shoulder injury and momentum as Ipswich came back in the second half.

Christophe Berra rose to head in a Paul Anderson free-kick in the 52nd minute and both teams had chances to win it, with Martin seeing a shot deflected just wide in stoppage time.

McCarthy was encouraged by the way his team responded but admitted it will be difficult to keep McGoldrick, even though he and owner Marcus Evans do not want to sell him.

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Derby 1 Ipswich 1 - Highlights

"He did actually have a dead leg, and had it been the cup final at Wembley I think we would probably have nursed him through. But I'm of a mind that we need everyone 100 per cent physically and mentally," McCarthy said.

"It won't be down to me, that will be what Leicester bid and Marcus decides. But let me tell you, Marcus doesn't want it to happen and if he wanted to stop it he could.

"But you need players 100 per cent with you all the time and if David had played and got injured, he would never have forgiven himself. And, do you know what, neither would I.

"A Premier League club comes in for you and you can go back home and live in your own house, with more money, it would distract me as well.

"No one wants to lose him physically but I'd hate to lose him emotionally for a long time. And, I have to be honest, if it was me in that position, I'd be pulling my boots on with a whole load of resentment for a while and I don't want that."

However, McCarthy was pleased with the way his team coped without their top striker.

He said: "We started passing the ball to people in blue shirts in the second half. We didn't rush it and kept the ball better in the second half and we got in some good positions."

Derby head coach Steve McClaren thought his side deserved more than a point for the match.

"I felt it was a game overall we should have won," he said. "We probably caused our own problems, after we got the first goal we seemed to stop.

"Jeff was six minutes down and it kind of killed the game in the first half. And we started the second poorly, so it was not a consistent performance throughout the 90 minutes.

"Jeff has gone off to hospital with a shoulder injury, hopefully it's not a dislocation but I don't know."

Martin's contract agreement was good news for McClaren, though, who said: "He's agreed a four-year deal and should sign it shortly, so that's pleasing. If we've any ambitions we need to keep our best players."

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