McKenna Confronts Unprecedented Absentee List
Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna admits he finds himself in a “challenging spot” heading into Saturday’s crucial relegation six-pointer at Newcastle United. The Tractor Boys must win at St James’ Park to keep survival hopes alive—yet even a victory might not suffice if arch-rivals West Ham collect a single point at Brighton. To compound matters, McKenna will be without nine senior squad members for the trip north.
“I'm not going to go through every single one because I'll probably be naming the fit players that we have left,” McKenna sighed when detailing his squad availability.
“We’re in a challenging spot in terms of availability, to be honest. We’re working really hard to get a team and a squad together that can go there and be as competitive as we can be.” — Kieran McKenna
Nine Key Players Out of Action
Leif Davis will serve a three-match suspension after receiving a straight red card against Arsenal. That ruling joins a host of injury absences, including thigh, hamstring, achilles, ankle and knee complaints across the roster.
| Player | Status |
|---|---|
| Leif Davis | Suspended (Red Card) |
| Nathan Broadhead | Thigh Injury |
| Conor Townsend | Hamstring Strain |
| Kalvin Phillips | Achilles Issue |
| Sammie Szmodics | Ankle Injury |
| Jaden Philogene | Knee Problem |
| Arijanet Muric | Shoulder Injury |
| Omari Hutchinson | Hamstring Strain |
| Chiedozie Ogbene | Achilles Issue |
Ipswich have not won at Newcastle in nearly 50 years, and losing nine first-teamers only deepens the challenge.
Stakes at St James’ Park
A point for West Ham at Brighton would spell doom regardless of Ipswich’s result, making this trip the ultimate high-pressure test. McKenna is banking on the competitive spirit of those available to extract as much as possible from a makeshift XI.
“We’re still going to be waiting on a few right until tomorrow,” he added, “and we’ll try and make the right decisions. Hopefully, we’ll have enough to be competitive.”
Newcastle Eye European Cushion
For Eddie Howe’s side, this fixture is equally significant. A win against Ipswich would lift Newcastle into third place, putting crucial daylight between them and fellow FA Cup semi-finalists Aston Villa and Manchester City.
Can Ipswich summon an unlikely victory with such a depleted squad—or will Newcastle seize the chance to strengthen their top-four bid? Let us know in the comments!
1 Comment (last comment by Adem)
First read message
By Adem 24 Apr 2025 16:09
To be honest, I think they'll win or draw against Newcastle, somehow they play well against good teams, not including the match against Arsenal.
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