Krause Close to Contract - Ipswich Town News

Town manager Joe Royle says the club are close to offering young defender James Krause a professional contract. Krause, a member of the 2005 FA Youth Cup-winning team, has missed much of this season due to injury.

Bury St Edmunds-born Krause was at full-back in both legs of the Youth Cup final but has played much of his football at the centre of the defence.

Royle says that he expects the 19-year-old to be retained at the end of the season: "He's done well. He played in the reserves the other night at Tottenham and was excellent. We just want to see that James is fit again. He's just had his first 90 minutes in a long time, but he's come through it and he's training again today.

"We'll look closely at his situation in the next couple of weeks. We're of a mind that he will go on with us but we needed to see his fitness."

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