x

McKenna to Make Late Judgements on Hutchinson and Davis Among Others - Ipswich Town News

Omari Hutchinson and Leif Davis are among a number of players on whom Town boss Kieran McKenna will make late judgements ahead of Saturday’s big relegation six-pointer at home to Wolves.

Davis has a leg injury, while Hutchinson picked up a hamstring problem in training after returning from England U21 duty.

However, McKenna says no one suffered any new issues in the 2-1 win at Bournemouth on Wednesday.

"Nothing new from the other night, which is a bonus, so everyone who played the game came through the game,” McKenna said.

"In terms of availability for tomorrow, we're leaving it until tomorrow with a lot of players because we got players who played a little bit more than what we would have wanted the other night.

"It was a physical game, we've got players coming back from injury, so it's going to be late judgments on how everyone is tomorrow and then we'll make our final decisions.”

Quizzed on whether Davis and Hutchinson are among them, McKenna responded: "There's a lot of players in that camp, so we can put them in that tent as well.”

The Blues manager says Kalvin Phillips came through his 10 minutes or so off the bench fine, despite having had more than 20 stitches to a foot injury following the Nottingham Forest match prior to the international break.

"He hadn't trained in the build-up to the game,” McKenna added. "So I have to say credit to him as well for being available and making himself available for the squad, not having really having had any football, but being there if we needed to get a result over the line and he helped us do that. It's good he's was able to do that and he hasn't had any big reaction.”

Reflecting on injuries over the course of the season, which has meant McKenna has been unable to name the same team two games running, he said: "There are other criteria as to why we pick the team, but I think it's known that we've had pretty extenuating circumstances. 
 
"I'm not sure how many times we could have picked the same team in terms of availability.

"We've tried for periods of the season to be consistent in certain units of the team and tried to build relationships as well as we can, but usually that process has been disrupted one way or another, so that's been a challenge. 
 
"Everyone who played on Wednesday night is fit and available again, but it's a quick turnaround after a physical game, so we'll make the right decisions about what we think for the team to start and the right decisions for the team to come on.”

What to read next:

Cajuste Offered to Udinese Report
Napoli are reported to have offered former Blues loanee Jens Cajuste to Udinese as they look to sign Italian international striker Lorenzo Lucca in a cash-plus-player deal.
TWTD Questionnaire Results Now Online
TWTD’s seventies-style supercomputer, the Osborne 1.0, has been fired up once again and the results of the TWTD Questionnaire 2024/25 are now available.
FA Youth Cup Hero Upson Retires
Ed Upson, the scorer of the goal which won Town the FA Youth Cup in 2005, has announced he is hanging up his boots, aged 35.
Prediction League Winners
The TWTD Prediction League was as keenly contested as ever during 2024/25 but with BigAlsMate’s emerging as the winner by five points.
Hutchinson: We Want to Be Dominant Against Spain
Omari Hutchinson says he and his England U21s teammates have to look to dominate Spain in Saturday’s European Championship quarter-final in Trnava, Slovakia.
Trabzonspor Concerns Over Tuanzebe Injury Record
Trabzonspor are concerned by Blues defender Axel Tuanzebe’s injury record, according to a Turkish report.
Delap Nominated For PFA Young Player of the Year
Former Town striker Liam Delap has been named in the PFA’s Young Player of the Year Top Six.
Hutchinson Assists as England U21s Progress Despite Defeat
Blues forward Omari Hutchinson won his seventh cap as England’s U21s made it through to the knockout stages of the European Championship, despite being beaten 2-1 by Germany in their final group game in Slovakia.
Youngster Nicolaou Signs First Pro Deal
Academy youngster Shakil Nicolaou has signed his first professional deal.
Hutchinson's England U21s Face Germany
Blues forward Omari Hutchinson and his England U21s teammates will be looking to secure qualification to the knockout stage of the European Championship when they face Germany in Nitra, Slovakia this evening (KO 8pm, Channel 4).