Young striker Tyreece Simpson is unavailable for Saturday’s trip to Fleetwood having picked up a knee problem in the U23s, while left-back Matt Penney is back in training after an ankle injury.

Simpson, 20, scored twice for the table-topping U23s as they beat Swansea 4-1 on Monday, leading to speculation that he might be included in the 18 at Highbury for the first time since his return from his loan spell at Swindon in which he scored 11 times in League Two.

However, manager Kieran McKenna says the academy product suffered a minor knock against the Swans.

“He’s a little issue on the back of his knee. They’re still assessing it because it’s still pretty recent. I think he came off at the back end of the game on Monday with it,” McKenna said.

“So he’s missed training over the last few days and will need at least another good few days before he’s ready to get back on the grass and start rehabilitating himself back towards full training.

“I think it took him a week or two to settle back into the environment again [after his return from his loan] but in the last couple of weeks he’s been looking stronger in training and stronger in the last couple of U23s games.

“So the plan was for him to train with us again this week after the game on Monday and, like everyone else at the football club, it’s up to him to show in training and to compete in training to show that he’s deserving of minutes.

“Unfortunately he’s picked up a little injury on Monday so he’s looking at hopefully a short spell on the sidelines, maybe one or two weeks, the medical team are still assessing him.

“But he’s not been able to join in with us this week and isn’t available for Saturday or probably going into Tuesday next week.

“That is obviously a little setback for him but hopefully he can recover quickly and join back as part of the group and continue to try and make that impression.”

Simpson was brought back from the Robins for what McKenna said were contractual reasons.

The striker’s current deal is up in the summer, although with the club having an option for a further season and it’s understood Town have offered a longer-term deal with discussions continuing.

“That’s mostly with the club, not something I’m involved with day-to-day and I haven’t been given any update on that to say that it’s moved very much in one direction or the other,” McKenna said when asked about the situation.

“I think it’s still a situation which is ongoing and discussions are ongoing between the club and Tyreece and his representation.”

McKenna says there are no other new injuries with full-back Penney back involved having got over a niggle.

“Matt Penney had a little injury last week that he picked up very late in training,” McKenna continued. “He had a little knock on his ankle but he’s better, so we’ve had a clean week this week and it’s just Lee Evans and Kyle Edwards the two more longer term injury.”

Regarding Evans’s progress from the knee problem he suffered towards the end of the Burton match, he added: “Not too much change, still a matter of weeks, fewer weeks than we last spoke, hopefully. But he’s progressing in the gym, he’s not outside yet, hopefully he’ll be outside the early part of next week and then it’ll be about building himself up to full training.”

Meanwhile, McKenna said Kane Vincent-Young and Idris El Mizouni playing for the U23s on Monday was more about their overall fitness than with a view to Saturday’s match at Fleetwood.

“Just in general. I think we’ve got 11, hopefully some more, but 11 league games left for sure, we don’t have a massive squad now, we have a squad where everyone’s going to have a part to play and there’s a fair chance that everyone will play some minutes before the end of the season,” the Northern Irishman continued.

“We constantly review where the players are at, how long it is since they’ve had minutes and if there’s a good opportunity for them to get some minutes to leave them in a better position when an opportunity rises, whether that’s this weekend or Tuesday, or next weekend, we need everybody to be fit, ready and available to contribute when needed.

“This week it was right and a good opportunity for Kane and Idris to get some minutes and thankfully they both performed well and got 90 minutes under their belt and both are in a better position for it.”

Photo: Matchday Images

Barty added 14:58 - Mar 3 That is a real shame as it would have been good to have him on the bench
2

TimmyH added 15:04 - Mar 3 Bloody typical...just when we could do with trying something different in the attacking third.
3

Ipswichbusiness added 15:13 - Mar 3 If he isn't prepared to sign a new contract, if he just wants away, then do not invest more in him, sell in the summer. If he is prepared to re-sign then good, but a shame he is not available.
1

hyperbrit added 15:29 - Mar 3 methinks I smell smoke!!
-3

blues1 added 15:50 - Mar 3 Hyperbrit. Always has to be one on here who has to make something out of nothing. He was taken off in the U23s game, due to injury. So why would anyone think theres anything else to this?
4

Linkboy13 added 16:16 - Mar 3 Not fully committed to the club so no chance of selection. Still not sure if Thompson is any better than Penney who was starting to show some form under McKenna.
1

hyperbrit added 16:20 - Mar 3 I've only been a Town fan for 25 years so I know my opinions don't really count but I think McK is insisting on committment here as some of you have said.
2

TractorFrog added 18:55 - Mar 3 I hope Matt Penney starts at LWB soon, a very underrated player.
1

FramlinghamBlue added 20:08 - Mar 3 I'm not sure Matt Penney is underrated, he's just bang average. He is certainly no LWB, he can't beat a player. A solid LB
0

Veggie added 21:44 - Mar 3 25 years isn't actually that long to have been a Town fan. You could be just 30 if you started supporting them at 5. And so what anyway? You could have supported them for 90 years and still be clueless.
1

hyperbrit added 02:10 - Mar 5 Veggie your are quite correct 25 years is not a long time compared to many of you, but long enough for ITFC to live in my heart forever
0

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