McKenna: Muric Close to Return, Slicker Set For Loan Saturday, 19th Jul 2025 21:46 Town manager Kieran McKenna believes Aro Muric could still have a part to play at Portman Road as he closes in on a return from injury, while revealing Scotland international Cieran Slicker wasn’t on the pre-season trip to Austria as he is looking at loan options.
Muric, 26, joined the Blues last summer from Burnley for an initial £10 million plus a further £5 million in add-ons, but endured a tough season, making a number of high profile and costly mistakes before picking up a shoulder injury which required surgery in March.
The Kosovo international was in Austria with the rest of the squad but wasn’t involved in this afternoon’s friendly against Blau-Weiß Linz, which the Blues won 4-1.
“Aro’s just still working back from his injury, really,” McKenna explained. “He’s back in some training now but is still getting there. He’s really not far away, so the [goalkeeping] unit looks really strong.”
While Alex Palmer and Christian Walton played a half each against the Austrian Bundesliga side, McKenna had praise for his newest keeper, David Button, 36, who joined on a one-year deal earlier this month, while another of his glovesmen stayed behind in Suffolk.
“David Button’s had a great impact, I have to say, a top, top goalkeeper, he has made a great impact straight away,” McKenna said.
“Cieran Slicker’s looking at options for loans, so all being well, with David coming in, the plan will be for him to go and get some first-team experience this year, which he’s definitely ready for and get some games.
“We’ll see how that pans out over the next few weeks but it feels like a really strong department at the moment.”
Quizzed on whether Muric could still play a part going forward, despite speculation he could move on this summer, McKenna said: “Everything’s possible. Aro’s a really, really talented goalkeeper. He showed that in spells last year and in certain games last year.
“We have four senior goalkeepers at the moment and pre-season is there for people to compete and we need at least three really strong senior goalkeepers in the building. We’ll see how it plays out over the remainder of the summer.”
Photo: Matchday Images
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ITFCSG added 14:10 - Jul 20
@TimmyH playing in a lower league doesn’t absolve him from poor decision making, blanking out during matches and/or lack of communication with the . Yes, he may be punished less, but we are still going to gift goals and points to the opposition for nothing. The cup match v Bristol Rovers last season, at least two major c0ck-ups including punching the ball straight at the Gas striker - if they had more clinical strikers he’d have been made to look very stupid v a L2 side |  | |
runningout added 14:52 - Jul 20
those criticising Muric are very weak in my view |  | |
Bluearmy_81 added 15:26 - Jul 20
Those backing Muric are clueless/have Stockholm syndrome in my view. Worst keeper since Sereni |  | |
darkhorse28 added 15:55 - Jul 20
LancsBlue. The narrative that someone’s ability only correlates to their cost is bizarre, it’s not as if he’s the only mistake we made.., we paid a lot for Phillips, Clarke, Greaves, and they didn’t meet expectations either, far from it. Ogbenne was injured but we over paid there too. And Philogene still had it all to prove. Peoples eyes don’t deceive them, he can’t command even his six yard box, can’t kick a ball, and panics the entire defence…, Many other players expressed with their body language a complete lack of faith. He isn’t you or inexperienced either…, that he’s Kosovos best GK, and that he had one good season in the EFL behind a VERY good Burnley defence isn’t in dispute, and his shot stopping is actually pretty good. As a GK at the elite level though, he’s 2/10 That’s not his fault …, WE paid up to £15 million for that. And if you think he is good enough…, why has everyone even vaguely connected to the signing…, left the club? Everyone knows how poor he is (at that level) And KM should say less…, because he’s making himself look like he can’t see the wood for the trees. He’s got a player to sell .., so talks him up …, but there were times last year when he talked him up .., and I can only think the rest of the squad lost some respect for KM.., because Muric is one of the worst GK’s I’ve seen at that level. For ANY team. And for every big error punished there were another 2 or 3 a game that didn’t get punished.., he was literally a goal start for the opposition, Nobody pays £15 million for a GK who is decent in the EFL. Sheff Itd have young Coopet…, he’s twice the level of Muric …, he cost £2 million. We can’t keep defending the costly mistakes we made last summer. Under PSR you don’t waste this much time and money and not have consequences We don’t get to wash out hands and move forward! We’ve lost most of our staff, our FIVE best players, and our owners want to sell their majority stake. These are the consequences of signing players like Muric that are SO expensive relative to their quality. There is no shrigging the shoulders and saying ‘ah well let’s be patient’ In football finance now, there are immediate consequences. Your patience with our failures.., is why Hutchinson, one of our most talented players in decades, won’t be here next season, and Delap, a huge prospect won’t be either. Sadly. The mistakes were so many, and so big, they dwarf the successes - Muric is a part of that. Not his fault…, it’s on Ashton and Mckrnna - so let’s get that straight. Poor strategy, poor decisions, and we have the same people saying they suddenly have all the answers. Some of these liabilities will hurt us long after both have left the building IF we don’t go straight back up. |  | |
BangaloreBlues added 16:40 - Jul 20
Seems the comments on here are either one extreme or the other. I am personally of the opinion that Muric should never play for my team again, and I wish the club would release him. He's a liability and his mistakes were too frequent for him to be given the benefit of the doubt, let alone be given more chances to stand between the posts. His mistakes occurred just at the point where we were starting to get a bit of traction last season, and we lost x number of points because of him. Risk him again and it could be the difference between promotion and play offs. Palmer is absolute class, and so is Walton. We don't even need Muric. |  | |
tetchris added 18:25 - Jul 20
Taxi for Muric |  | |
RobsonWark added 18:46 - Jul 20
If Muric starts a games next season I'll be having a bet that we will lose the game. I'm not missing out on any match fixing he may be involved in. |  | |
RobsonWark added 18:49 - Jul 20
CobboldCrusty added 14:10 - Jul 20 If he sticks around there's a good keeper somewhere in Muric. He has a far higher ceiling than Walton (who I like). Good instinctive shot stopper, agile despite his size, commands box well. You've never watched us over the last few seasons. To say he is better than Walton is a joke. To say he commands the box well - hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. My sides are hurting I'm laughing so much. |  | |
RobsonWark added 18:56 - Jul 20
Oh sh1t. Just thought. If I do have a bet, I may be done for insider dealing. |  | |
Swoody added 21:39 - Jul 20
I would love to see him picked for the first game of the season would LMFTO at the meltdowns, whoever the manager picks should be supported or your not a true fan. |  | |
rkl added 22:11 - Jul 20
We will never know obviously, but I do wonder if we coukd have stayed up had we signed Palmer instead of Muric in the summer. The points dropped due to his mistakes, the confidence that was lost in the defence and throughout the team, the potential run of wins we missed out on. I just watched the win at Spurs, where most people think he played well, but if you look just before the second goal, he made a howler, gifting the ball to them and we were very lucky not to concede and go up the other end to double the lead. The previous time we were relegated back in 2002, we didn’t have a first choice goalkeeper either. It really is the most important position in the team. |  | |
Carberry added 22:46 - Jul 20
blues1, you are hilarious, you slag people off on here and then agree with them. |  | |
RobsonWark added 23:22 - Jul 20
Swoody were you at Portman Road when Mick McCarthy was manager? Thought not. In fact do you even go to any games? Turning up at Portman Road every week and seeing your team lose because of Muric and being upset about it does make you a true fan. Seeing him make all the mistakes and us losing and not being bothered about it does mean you are not a true fan. |  | |
Westy added 22:32 - Jul 24
With the cost living and food in particular going through the roof I really can't see too many sell-outs this season. I hope that £10 or so for FA Cup & League Cup ties if we have any at Portman Road this season will prevail to allow as many as possible to hopefully see at least one game. |  | |
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