Youngsters Idris El Mizouni, Armando Dobra, Brett McGavin, Corrie Ndaba and Aaron Drinan were left out of the first-team photo call held at Portman Road yesterday afternoon.
We understand the quintet were told at the training ground earlier in the day that they wouldn’t be included in the group shots or have individual photos taken.
Of the five, only Dobra, 19, and El Mizouni, 19, were given squad numbers when they were released earlier in the summer, while Drinan, 22, and McGavin, 20, started pre-season training with the senior players and have featured throughout the first-team friendlies so far.
Ndaba, 20, the only one of the five not to have made a competitive first-team appearance up to now, has impressed with his displays during pre-season.
The five are set to be the U23s squad for tonight’s friendly against Norwich and we understand some or all of them will also make the trip with the first team for Saturday’s final pre-season game at Cambridge.
Twenty-four players were included in the annual photo call, which due to coronavirus restrictions didn’t include the regular group shot with the players forming the letters NHS in the centre circle instead in tribute to health service workers.