Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna has provided an update after Leif Davis and Omari Hutchinson missed the pre-season win against Auxerre this afternoon.
The Blues secured a 3-0 victory thanks to goals from George Hirst, Jacob Greaves and Ali Al-Hamadi, but two of their star players were absent from the squad for different reasons.
“Leif has got an injury,” McKenna confirmed. “It’s unfortunate timing, we’re going to see how he responds next week.
“Omari, a different situation. Of course, with the speculation around his future at the moment, he didn’t feel mentally in the right place to come for the game.
“It’s a challenging situation for everyone. He’s a player we love and we support, and we have empathy with the year that he’s been through.
“It’s an important moment in his career, but also the club have the right for their position as well.
“We’ll keep communicating and working on that situation. Hopefully it will be the best solution for the club and for the player.”
Town are, of course, trying to bring players to the club as soon as possible, with former loan star Jens Cajuste and Como striker Ivan Azon recently linked, although McKenna is unsure as to whether or not there will be any new faces by next Friday’s Championship kick-off at Birmingham City.
“We’ll have to see,” he explained. “We’ll be trying, of course. We’re lighter in certain areas than we want to be, that’s for sure, but the club has been working hard for weeks and months now, and will continue to do so.
“Hopefully we can have some additions as soon as possible, but I, the players and the supporters – which I know they will be when it comes to the start of the season – need to be 100% focused on the task at hand, being together and going to Birmingham next weekend, delivering a top performance and trying to get points on the board. Doing that for the games ahead.
“Situations, incomings and outgoings, will play out as they play out. We’ll always try to do what’s best for the football club.”
Asked about recent speculation surrounding Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney, McKenna said: “We never speak about anyone else’s players. Nothing to say, really.”
