Ipswich Town boss admits challenging injury and suspension crisis ahead of Newcastle United match | OneFootball

Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna is facing relegation at the weekend.

The 4-0 home defeat to Arsenal in their last match means only mathematically is it still not confirmed.

Ipswich Town 15 points from safety with five games to play and 20 goals worse on goal difference compared to West Ham, the only team they can still (mathematically) catch to avoid the drop.

To top it all off, Kieran McKenna admits he has a ‘challenging’ injury and suspension crisis for this Newcastle United match.

Lifelong Newcastle United fan Leif Davis was red carded against Arsenal and is suspended, alongside this lengthy injury list of nine players (via the Premier League injuries site), none of who are expected to return on Saturday…

Leif Davis (suspended)

Arijanet Muric (shoulder)

Conor Townsend (thigh)

Kalvin Phillips (calf)

Wes Burns (knee)

Chiedozie Ogbene (calf)

Omari Hutchinson (thigh)

Sammie Szmodics (ankle)

Nathan Broadhead (thigh)

Jaden Philogene (knee)

As if that wasn’t bad enough, due to a rib injury, best player and top scorer Liam Delap has only been able to play minimal minutes these last two games. Managing only 26 minutes off the bench across the last two games, including only nine minutes against Arsenal.

With Ipswich Town effectively already relegated, it would be a major surprise if the Ipswich Town boss took any risks with Delap.

Kieran McKenna reflecting on the dire situation ahead of facing Newcastle United:

“To be honest, we’re in a challenging spot in terms of availability [for this Newcastle United match].

“I am not going to go through every single one [players who will be missing] because I would probably be naming the fit players that we have left to face Newcastle…

“But…we are in a really difficult spot in terms of availability.

“We are working really hard, to try and get a team and squad together that can go there and be as competitive as we can be.”

The suspension to lifelong Newcastle fan Leif Davis coming on top of everything else and Kieran McKenna admitting the Ipswich Town left-back is gutted he won’t be playing at St James’ Park:

“He is [gutted to be missing against Newcastle United] but it is what it is.

“He is still a young player, young in his career, so his determination will be, like the rest of the boys, to make sure this isn’t the last time that Ipswich are going to St James’ Park in a league game.