Nigel Clough believes a fit Liam Boyce would already be well on the way to matching Jackson Irvine's goalscoring record from last season for Burton Albion.

The Brewers' recent struggles in front of goal have left them as the lowest-scoring side in the EFL, with only six to their name from 13 Championship matches.

That tally is 10 fewer than at the same stage last season, when then-record signing Irvine was showing an unerring eye for goal himself, having notched crucial strikes in wins over Derby County, Sheffield Wednesday and Cardiff City.

Irvine would go on to finish with 10 to his name from his debut campaign in English football.

Jackson Irvine scored once this season for the Brewers, in a 4-1 loss at his current club Hull City
Jackson Irvine scored once this season for the Brewers, in a 4-1 loss at his current club Hull City

Boyce was coming down from Scotland for the first time when he became Burton's new record man in the summer, signed to give Albion a more clinical touch after finishing as the Scottish Premiership's top scorer last season.

But the Northern Ireland international suffered a serious ACL injury in pre-season, leaving him out for the majority of the campaign, while Irvine left for Hull City in August.

And Clough recognises the impact of that pair's absence as his Brewers look to end their 489-minute wait for a goal against Ipswich Town this weekend.

"We did lose our top scorer," he said.

"You think of the games that we won last season at this time, the 1-0s where he got us the winning goal.

"Without a doubt, that is a miss.

Liam Boyce picked up a serious-looking knee injury against Shrewsbury Town

"And then you bring Liam Boyce in to try to get you those goals as well, and then we have him out.

"He was at the game on Saturday with his family, and that brought it home because I think he would've scored on Saturday.

"I think he'd have got us five or six goals already this season.

"He's a big miss.

"And then you lose Joe Mason to injury, and Lucas Akins goes off at half-time at Forest, and Will Miller is out.

"So you are three or four strikers down. It's tough."