Forward Sammie Szmodics could be involved at Aston Villa on Saturday after the ankle problem he aggravated at Coventry last weekend proved to be less serious than feared, but Conor Chaplin is still at least a week away from a return.
Szmodics was back in the side for last week’s 4-1 FA Cup win at the CBS Arena but was forced off in the first half having hurt the ankle which had kept him out for the previous month.
However, McKenna says the problem isn’t serious and the former Blackburn man will be assessed ahead of the trip to Villa Park.
"Conor Chaplin’s still not going to be available,” McKenna said. "Sam Szmodics, thankfully, the ankle injury he had a recurrence of last week hasn’t been too serious, so he’s going to be a judgement call tomorrow whether he’s going to play against Aston Villa or not.”
Regarding Chaplin, who has been out with his knee injury since the end of December, the Blues boss said: "A few little setbacks. With an MCL [medial collateral ligament] injury, which it is, you can get that.
"We’ve had experience of them here for the last few years and you can get to the very, very last bit of your rehab but there are a few actions or few movements which can sometimes stir it up.
"He’s had a slightly different course of treatment this week to see if that can accelerate it a little bit because he’s not quite been able to make that last hurdle, so they’ve gone in a slightly different direction this week and fingers crossed he’ll be back with the group next week.”
McKenna was pleased to give new keeper Alex Palmer his debut at Coventry and was pleased with the ex-West Brom man’s display.
"He did well, did everything you’d want, really,” he said. "He had to pick the ball out of the net probably with his first touch, which is never ideal, but nothing he could do on that.
"But after that, he communicated well with the backline, he distributed well and he made some good saves.
"It was the perfect game to bring him into and he’s trained well this week as well.”
Asked whether Palmer would be handed his Premier League debut against Villa, McKenna was keeping his cards close to his chest.
"It’s a possibility,” he said. "It gives us a stronger department. With Christian [Walton] out it gives us Alex and Aro [Muric] and Cieran Slicker, two more experienced goalkeepers, one younger goalkeeper but it gives us the type of options we want and we’ll pick what we think is right for each game.”