x

Town Continue Pre-Season With Austria Friendly Double Header - Ipswich Town News

Town end their Austria training camp with two friendlies on Saturday, against Slovakian side Spartak Trnava and then Flyeralarm Admira.

The Blues have been training using lower league Austrian club SC LAA’s facilities in Laa an der Thaya, north of Vienna.

"We’ve had a really good week here in Austria,” captain Sam Morsy told the club site.

"There has of course been a lot of hard work on the training pitch but we have also benefited from having so much time together as a team, eating all our meals together and spending time together between sessions.

"All of that is very important and we’re looking forward to ending the week with two games.

"Getting minutes is important at this time of the year and I think we will all benefit from that.”

Today was their final training day before they take on Spartak Trnava at 11am CEST (10am BST) on Saturday morning in a behind-closed-doors game at their training venue.

The Slovakians were third in the Fortuna Liga, the top division, last season and qualified for the Europa Conference League. More details on Spartak can be found in a TWTD blog here.

The Blues are then set to field a different team as they face Flyeralarm Admira, also known as Admira Wacker, at their motion_invest Arena in Mödling at the revised time of 4pm CEST (3pm BST).

Admira finished 10th in the Admiral Second League, the second tier of Austrian football, last season having been relegated from the top division, the Austrian Bundesliga the previous year after finishing bottom.

The second game is open to supporters with tickets available from the Gäste Tickets office at £10 for adults and £5 for under-14s.

New keeper Cieran Slicker could potentially make his first appearance in a Town shirt in one of the matches, although the Blues have taken four number ones on the trip, Christian Walton, Vaclav Hladky and Nick Hayes in addition to the former Manchester City man.

George Hirst, whose permanent move to Town was finally confirmed yesterday, hasn’t joined up with the squad in Austria but will be reunited with his teammates on their return next week having picked up a knock at the end of last season.

The Blues will be back in Austria to compete in the Innsbruck Cup on Friday 28th July where they will take on German Bundesliga sides RB Leipzig and SV Werder Bremen in two 60-minute matches.

A list of Town's pre-season matches which have been announced can be found here.

What to read next:

Young Watches Son as U21s Beat Needham
Former England star and apparent Town target Ashley Young watched his son Tyler feature as a trialist for Town's U21s on Tuesday evening as they beat 10-man Needham Market 2-1 at Bloomfields in a pre-season friendly.
Young Watching Town U21s at Needham
Veteran former England international Ashley Young is watching Town’s U21s in friendly action at Needham Market with his son Tyler on trial with John McGreal’s squad.
Blues Beaten By Hammers in Behind Closed Doors Friendlies
Town played two 60-minute behind-closed-doors friendlies with West Ham United at their Rush Green training ground this afternoon.
Halajko New Director of Football Operations, Chenery Appointed Academy Manager
Dmitri Halajko, previously Town’s academy director, has been appointed the new director of football operations, TWTD having revealed Gary Probert’s departure for a job at Liverpool a fortnight ago, while Ben Chenery has been named academy manager.
Town Women Sign Striker Dean
Ipswich Town Women have signed striker Rianna Dean following her Southampton exit at the end of last season.
Chaplin: Opener at Birmingham One to Look Forward To
Ipswich Town’s season opener against Birmingham City is a clash that the whole squad are looking forward to, according to forward Conor Chaplin.
Fourteen Sign Contracts Ahead of WSL2 Campaign
Town have confirmed that 14 players have signed new contracts with the women’s side for the WSL2 season ahead.
U21s in Action at Needham
Town’s U21s are in friendly action against Southern League Premier Division Central side Needham Market at Bloomfields this evening (KO 7.45pm).
Town Women to Host Villa U21s in Friendly
Ipswich Town Women will play a friendly against WSL side Aston Villa’s U21s at the Martello Ground in Felixstowe on Sunday 17th August (KO 2pm).
Town Yet to Open Young Talks
TWTD understands Town are yet to open talks with veteran former England international Ashley Young, but there is interest.