CHARLIE Wyke is prepared to put up with the ear ache again if it means Tony McMahon is back in the City ranks.

Stuart McCall has pencilled in a possible return date at Portsmouth next week for the influential right back.

McMahon's set-piece success rate has been a big part in the team's encouraging season so far – but he will sit out a third game this afternoon because of a hamstring problem.

That is showing signs of clearing up and Wyke cannot wait to have the side's most dangerous supply line back on board.

Yet the centre forward also knows that will be an end of the peace for him and travel companion Matt Kilgallon.

The pair drive in to training each day with McMahon and Wyke admitted the journey has been a lot more peaceful lately.

"I usually travel in with Macca but not at the moment because he has to be in earlier with the physios," said Wyke.

"It is a bit quieter because the trip is just me and Killa. It is nice to listen to the radio rather than him!

"We take it in turns to drive, so him being injured means I drive every two days rather than three. It is costing me a fortune in petrol.

"But the plus is we don't arrive at training with a headache any more!

"To be fair, his driving is okay, he just tells stories all the way. Plus, he has the nicer car."

Wyke has known McMahon since cleaning his boots as an apprentice at Middlesbrough. He admits the extrovert defender has never changed and remains the life and soul of the dressing room.

"He is as loud as you would expect," laughed Wyke. "He is generally crackers, 24/7.

"But he's great to have around the training ground. He is good craic and has you crying with laughter every day.

"Knowing him, he will be climbing up the walls to get back. He has to play or he goes even more crackers.

"He was doing the radio on Tuesday and he told all the lads beforehand that he was going to get on everyone's back. That made it interesting."

McMahon helped Wyke settle in when the striker arrived at Valley Parade for £250,000 in January. But there were doubts in the summer about whether his Boro mentor would still be at the club, with rumoured interest from Blackburn among others.

Wyke said: "He's a massive character and everyone gets on with him.

"He's a great lad who is a home boy – so I am sure he will not have wanted to travel all the way to Blackburn every day.

"Macca is not sure how much longer he will be out. Hopefully not too long – but I am sure it won't be with him because he pushes the physios every day.

"It's strange not having him in the line-up. But we have others who can step in and do the job.

"We work on different routines from set-pieces in training all the time and it is up to us to make sure we don't miss him.

"Getting the ball in the box is what we are about. It is then up to me, Romain (Vincelot) or whoever to get on the end of them."