Town boss Kieran McKenna says keeper Christian Walton is facing “quite a number of weeks” on the sidelines having suffered a groin strain at Liverpool last week.

Walton, 29, had been in the side for the previous five games having taken over from Aro Muric for the 2-0 home victory over Chelsea just after Christmas.

“He strained his groin in the Liverpool game,” McKenna said after the 2-1 home defeat to Southampton. “It’s not a minor strain, it’s a fairly significant strain, so he’s going to be out for quite a number of weeks.”

Quizzed on the two goals conceded by the returning Muric with fans having been critical of the Kosovan international’s role on both, McKenna said: “I haven’t watched them back, so it’s not fair to probably judge yet because you’re quite a long way from it in the game.

“I think the starting point as a team will always be what we can do better in the situation. The first goal’s a goal-kick, the second goal is a situation where we were breaking away but we’ve got loads of bodies behind the ball.

“The starting point will always be that we’ll own it as a team but obviously at times we need to step up and make blocks and make saves as well.”

Third-choice keeper Cieran Slicker seems likely to start next Saturday’s fourth round FA Cup tie at Coventry City.

Photo: Matchday Images

Bluewhiteboy added 18:29 - Feb 1 Walton being out shouldn't be an issue, good league 1 keeper,OK championship,poor prem. Only problem is our big summer signing is even worse. Well done Ashton, to busy spending his big bonus than worrying about building a serious prem team. Just poored money at it thinking it would do. Ashton more out of his depth than muric
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Scuzzer added 18:30 - Feb 1 Well that is us stuffed. Unless Slicker is an absolutely phenomenal keeper. Muric is a complete waste of 8.5 million.
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itfcskayman added 18:30 - Feb 1 If Slicker has a decent game in the cup then he has to start in the next league game. It’s a huge chance for him. 2 very preventable goals today
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ITFCSG added 18:35 - Feb 1 If McK cannot see the problem with Muric he's either held ransom by Muric or is just delusional. And where's the comments on today's game? What's the cock and bull story today for losing at home to the worst Prem team in history and a team we've beat twice last season?
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Swoody added 18:37 - Feb 1 When will people realise it dosent matter who is in goal, if we don't score more goals and defend better in this league the keeper will make mistakes.
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Alphawhiskey added 18:43 - Feb 1 Very disappointed with his signings to be honest. Apart from delap, all the others have been back average to poor. The manager doesn’t even know his best starting eleven. The league table doesn’t lie. We are awful. No fight or passion, too much showboating too. Sorry but this is down to the manager
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Phil1969 added 18:48 - Feb 1 Hope all you twzt fans leave this page seriously you know nothing about football. Goodbye.
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Bluewhiteboy added 18:53 - Feb 1 About as scary as Yorkshire pudding, bless you. Prob clapped those losers off today with your knitted scarf raised high
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virginblue added 18:56 - Feb 1 My God there some idiots on here. Has someone really just criticised McKenna because the article doesn’t mention the game today? It’s one small part of the interview you utter bellend.
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benslifeyt added 18:56 - Feb 1 Well this goal keeper situation has relegated us tbh .
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WaltonBlueNaze added 19:13 - Feb 1 Muric is probably the worse signing we have made under MA and KM, he has cost us far too many goals and points! Walton is also not upto the required standard needed for the PL. Instead of getting an experienced quality PL keeper we have bought far too many wide attacking players who are all very similar - lightweight and no end product!
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churchmans added 19:53 - Feb 1 Muric worst signing in mckennas reign! He offers nothing
2

Bergholtblue added 19:56 - Feb 1 Oh No! If we have to rely on Muric we are doomed. He was hopeless today! Distribution was so poor and the gime he takes to decide who to pass to was ridiculous.
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Bergholtblue added 19:56 - Feb 1 Time
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SuperTabby added 20:05 - Feb 1 We absolutely have to go and get a keeper between now and the end of the window.
7

fifeblue added 20:06 - Feb 1 It's time for Slicker.
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Town1Inter0 added 20:33 - Feb 1 Mourinho knew that GKs were undervalued and always prioritised investment in them.
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FrankMarshall added 21:04 - Feb 1 Sorry to hear Walton is out for a while. Hope he comes back even stronger! Worth remembering the amount of signings McKenna has got right rather than focusing on the one he has got wrong. Obviously we should have stuck with Hladky, but that didn't happen. I do think this could lead to our relegation. Hladky had control of the box, knew defenders strengths and weaknesses and was generally solid when called upon. Muric is incredibly unpredictable, great shot stopping followed by an inexplicable decision= no consistency at all which if you are a defender isn't good at all.

7

Blue56 added 21:59 - Feb 1 Back to size 25 boots, white face and red nose for Muric! He should do so much better.
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ipswichone added 22:41 - Feb 1 Its a case of sign a new keeper before the window closes,or championship here we come.muric was never right for this club,and with a crucial game lost,thanks to muric,McKenna needs to address the problem,or stick his head in the sand,and keep playing muric,who has cost us points,and quite probably the premiership.yes McKenna has a hard job,but you can't sweep the mistakes muric made today under the carpet.tell muric his seasons over,and bring in a emergency keeper,before the window closes

1

PhuketPete added 07:32 - Feb 2 Muric isn’t the best but I can’t blame him for us losing as our defence was also rather poor in front of him for both goals. But overall we lost because we were ineffective up front. I don’t remember any real clear cut chances in the 2H and there weren’t a whole lot in the 1H. It’s a shame because I felt generally we looked so much better with Enciso buzzing - although I also felt we looked less good after Broadie came off. Personally I’d also like to see us use Hirst more to stretch defences - with Delap close in. Anyway far too soon to give up esp if we can capitalise on Enciso.

3

grinch added 08:24 - Feb 2 Do some people think there is a goal keeper super store you go to and buy 1. There are no keepers for sale that you can complete by monday....town no different to the likes of chelsea and man utd whos goalies get grief...our problem is the midfield and defence expose our goal kepoer and unless you have a world class keeper who can keep bailing you out because you dont score more than a goal a game then you will keep getting turned over. Football is a team game from all the comments you would not think that and I can still remeber Walton receiving same treatment before Haldky was played regular oh how fickle some fans are !!

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blues1 added 09:07 - Feb 2 Bergholtblue. Please explain how his distribution was garbage? Barely misplaced 1 pass. Yes he made an error for the 1st goal, but then, why did they have 3 players unmarked on the edge of our box? Ok, criticise him for the error, but dont just spout rubbish about rest of his game. I notice you haven't been on here criticising walton for tge 4 goals he's been at fault for in the previous 3 matches. Of course not, bcse Muric is the scapegoat. Fact is, there's nothing between our keepers. Both are prone to errors.

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blues1 added 09:16 - Feb 2 Churchmans. He offers nothing. Must be why he's joint 4th in the pl for saves made, along with Pickford. He has errors in him. As does,Walton who's been at fault for 4 goals in the previous 3 games. Fans need to realise that keepers make mistakes, when there's pressure on them. Pressure that, can be caused by whats going on elsewhere on the pitch. The fact we're not scoring enough goals heaps pressure on the defence and keeper. And mistakes by both defence and keeper will happen bcs of that. Yes, he should have saved the 1st goal, but there were 3 players totally unmarked on tve edge of our area, so the midfield/ defenders have to be questioned as well. Actually, one of the biggest issues we are having, is we seem to be scared to have a shot, when the chance to do so is there.

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SuperTabby added 10:07 - Feb 2 With Muric it doesn’t really matter what his stats are as his confidence has completely gone, not helped by conceding that first goal yesterday. I actually don’t think Walton has been that great since that Chelsea match either. In terms of bringing someone in, what do you think they do? Wait until they need someone then start sending scouts out across the grounds until they decide? They’ll have their targets, now is the time to go and sound them out and bring someone in. There’ll be plenty of goalkeepers all over Europe that are better than Muric and are sitting on the bench every week.

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