KARL Henry will be given every chance to face Ipswich Town at the Macron tomorrow.

The experienced midfielder has missed the last two games with a hamstring injury suffered in New Year’s Day win over Hull City.

Phil Parkinson did not want to give his game-plan away in yesterday’s press briefing at Lostock but with Henry making good progress in the last couple of days, hopes are high he can return against his former Wolves boss Mick McCarthy.

“He is definitely getting closer,” Parkinson told The Bolton News. “He had a bit of a setback at the end of last week but we’re monitoring him on a day-to-day basis.

“We know he is an important player for us. If he’s right he’ll be back in the squad but if not we’ll have to leave him for two weeks until Bristol City.”

Parkinson has been pleased with Derik Osede’s input since losing both Henry and club skipper Darren Pratley to injury at the start of the month.

Pegged for a potential sale in the January window, the former Real Madrid man has put in some competent displays in front of the back four against Huddersfield Town and Brentford to work his way back into the first team picture again.

“There’s no getting around the fact that Darren and Karl have been good for us, given us a real physicality in the middle of the pitch, but Derik has come in without playing a lot of football and I think he’s getting stronger. We have noticed in training with each passing day he’s getting better and that has got to continue.

“Derik has some different attributes to Darren and Karl but sitting in front of the back four is his position, for me.”

Parkinson is looking for an improvement on the Brentford display, particularly in the wide areas, which have been one of Wanderers’ strong points this season.

Will Buckley is in strong contention for a return to the starting line-up after impressing off the bench at Griffin Park.

“I don’t think you can fault the effort we showed last week, it was a committed performance,” Parkinson said. “Nothing fell for us in and around the box. But sometimes you have to make that happen yourself, there has to be more quality with the balls coming into the box. We got into some good positions.

“We have shown in the past we have got that quality, so we need to show that again now.”