Reggie Lambe could be set for his Ipswich Town league debut after manager Roy Keane said he had no hesitation in playing some of his youngsters at Middlesbrough today.

Lambe, 19, has featured in most of Ipswich's pre-season friendlies this summer and is likely to be named in Keane's squad for the first weekend of the new Championship season.

Although he has played for the Tractor Boys' first team in a Carling Cup tie against Shewsbury Town last season, Lambe is yet to feature in a league match.

Keane has no doubt his youngsters could handle the step up to the first team if called upon.

"Two or three of the young boys could be involved on Saturday and they certainly will be against Exeter on Tuesday," he told the Ipswich Town website.

"Lads like Tom Brown, who was our best player by a long way on Tuesday night against Tottenham. Jack Ainsley is a good player. Luke Hyam has shown what he can do.

"We're delighted with our young boys and we will play them if we think they are good enough and they are ready and some of them are."

Ex-Manchester United star, Keane, considers Gordon Strachan's Middlesbrough to the promotion favourites.

He said: "Gordon has invested well in bringing in experienced players, players who have played for big clubs, and played in Champions League games."

Lambe, a Bermuda international, played the full match in Ipswich's 1-0 defeat against Tottenham at Portman Road on Tuesday.

The Spurs side included household names such as England's Ledley King and Russia's Roman Pavlyuchenko who scored the only goal of the game.

Lambe, a pacey midfielder, twice went close to equalising in the second half.

"His first effort was parried behind for a corner while his second strike flew well wide of the goal.

Tomorrow's likely Ipswich squad

Fulop, Murphy, Peters, McAuley, Smith, Kennedy, Hyam, Edwards, Leadbitter, Norris, Walters, Priskin, O'Connor, Healy, Brown, Murray, Lambe, Martin, Stead.