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Trialist on Bench as Blues Host Nice - Ipswich Town News

Colombian international midfielder Steven Alzate is on trial with the Blues and on the bench for this afternoon’s friendly against OGC Nice at Portman Road (KO 12.30pm).

The 25-year-old Londoner started his career with Leyton Orient before moving to Brighton and Hove Albion in 2017 at the end of his first senior season.

While with the Seagulls, Alzate spent time on loan with Swindon and, for the last two seasons, Standard Liege. In total, he made 35 starts and 16 sub appearances, scoring three goals, for Brighton before being released last summer.

While Alzate will presumably get a chance from the bench in the second half, Blues boss Kieran McKenna names and XI which may or may not give clues to the side which lines up against Liverpool next week.

Aro Muric is in goal with Axel Tuanzebe at right-back, Leif Davis at left-back and George Edmundson and Cameron Burgess the centre-halves.

Skipper Sam Morsy and Massimo Luongo are in the centre of midfield with Ben Johnson appearing to be on the right of the three behind striker Liam Delap with Omari Hutchinson in the middle and Marcus Harness on the left.

Ali Al-Hamadi and Janoi Donacien are notable name son the bench. The Iraqi international is in the squad for the first time during pre-season having undergone adductor surgery early in pre-season.

Donacien went under the knife towards the end of last season and is training with the club while he gets fit, despite being out of contract.

The 90-minute match will be followed by another game 45 minutes played over two halves in order to get minutes in players’ legs ahead of both teams’ seasons kicking off next week.

Town: Muric, Tuanzebe, Edmundson, Burgess, Davis, Morsy (c), Luongo, Johnson, Hutchinson, Harness, Delap. Subs: Walton, Slicker, Woolfenden, Burns, Ladapo, Chaplin, Taylor, Al-Hamadi, Townsend, Greaves, Carr, Foyo, Ayinde, Alzate, Donacien.

OGC Nice: Bulka, Mendy, Rosario, Dante (c), Clauss, Boudaoui, Sanson, Louchet, Cho, Guessand, Boga. Subs: Dupé, Boulhendi, Doumbouya, Bard, Salhi, Ndombele, Camara, Traoré, Brahimi, Bouanani, Laborde, Orakpo. Referee: James Bell.

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