Boss Issues Challenge to Hewitt and Veseli - Ipswich Town News

Boss Mick McCarthy has challenged young right-backs Elliott Hewitt and Frederic Veseli to prove to him that they’re worthy inclusion in his side ahead of Luke Chambers. The Blues manager has been hugely impressed with 28-year-old Chambers’s performances on the right of the defence since he switched from centre-half.

"Chambo’s great, he’s terrific,” McCarthy said. "I said to both Elliott and Freddie in the U21s that those two should have been battling it out, but unfortunately for the pair of them Chambo’s better.

"He’s been great. I think it’s been a real testimony to him and his character that he’s gone and played there when he was playing so well at centre-back.

"As soon as I changed it, does that put his position under threat if the two other centre-halves play well and he doesn’t? It does, but he’s not under to threat because I think he’s been great.

"He’s got the captain’s armband at the moment, he’s a really good pro. He's a really good guy, Chambo. I really like him.”

Wales U21 international Hewitt, 19, started the season at right-back and played the first four league games before being dropped in favour of Chambers after the home defeat to Leeds.

Former Manchester City and Manchester United youngster Veseli, 20, made his senior debut in the Capital One Cup defeat at Stevenage having won a deal in the summer after impressing while on trial following his release from Old Trafford.

Since then, the Swiss U21 international has been on the bench four times but is still to make his league bow.

McCarthy says Renens-born Veseli is doing OK in training but needs to do more in order to usurp Chambers: "I’ve just spoken to him. I brought him in and I thought he and Elliott would be competing for that right-back slot.

"Neither of them have performed that well that they can get Chambo out of it. He’s been different class. That’s their problem. They’ve got to prove to me that they should be in.

"Freddie’s just going to have to bide his time. He trains well, he’s a good lad, I’ve got no problems with him at all.”

Veseli played in the centre of the defence in last week’s U21 match against Bristol City but McCarthy says that’s not his ideal role: "He’s not a centre-half, although he’s played there for Switzerland, he told me.

"Down the right-hand side is where [he’s best]. He’s played in midfield as well and I might give him a go in there because you never know when it might come in useful at some stage if he can play there, either wide or in the centre.”

Meanwhile, Town's Playford Road training ground is - like TWTD - currently without power in the wake of the storms earlier in the week.

Monday's friendly with the Nike Academy succumbed to the weather, with the opposition having been due to travel from the Midlands, but today's training session will take place.

As was the case in the George Burley era, after training the players will drive back to Portman Road to change and shower.

Photos: Action Images/ITFC

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