Ipswich Town: Kieran McKenna on injuries and January window
Town have had some really awful luck with injuries this Premier League season, with statistics indicating that they are second only behind Brighton in terms of days lost due to injury (530 prior to the Wolves).
Summer signings Chiedozie Ogbene is expected to miss the rest of the season due to an Achilles injury, while crucial defender Axel Tuanzebe (hamstring) and attacker George Hirst (knee) are both out indefinitely.
Other significant summer additions, including defenders Jacob Greaves (hamstring) and Ben Johnson (thigh), as well as midfielder Kalvin Phillips (ankle), have all missed numerous games.
This season, 18 of Town’s 27 first-team players have had injuries.
The Blues are already striving to defy big odds by staying in the Premier League, and a slew of injuries is undoubtedly an added twist they could do without as they try to once again achieve the improbable.
“Certainly on the right side, we are feeling the loss of Axel (Tuanzebe) and Chieo (Ogbene). It’s an extremely crucial aspect of the team for us.
“We feel their absence because of the physicality that those two provide to the world’s most physical league during the season’s most physical month.
“There has been another disturbance, but that is what it is. We focus on the players that we have.
“The players that have joined the team have generally adapted well to the surroundings. Jack Taylor set a terrific example (against Bournemouth).
“We would have liked to have had more availability throughout the season, but we’re doing our best to deal with it and adapt.”
“I think, in general, the players are doing a pretty good job of that.”
Over the last two seasons, Town’s bench has been a big strength. The team’s starters, particularly the four forwards, could give it their best for 60-70 minutes before allowing an arsenal of attacking options to come off the bench and finish the job.
However, in the Premier League, Town’s relative lack of depth has become obvious.
Town’s current back-up striker, Ali Al-Hamadi, was playing in League Two earlier this year, unlike their opponents who can bring in high-paid substitutes.
The club’s injury problems compound its lack of depth.
The January transfer window has been critical to the Blues’ success in the last two promotion seasons, and it appears to be crucial again as the team fights against the odds to remain in the Premier League.
McKenna anticipates adding to the club’s forward options and depth when the January 1 transfer market opens.
“Even with everybody fit our subs bench wouldn’t look like other subs benches in terms of Premier League experience,” said the manager of the club.
“Having a large number of forwards ready to rotate is critical for us and has contributed significantly to our success in recent seasons.
“We want to be at full quota with them as often as possible, and we want to strengthen those positions as much as we can.
“We attempted to make them stronger in the summer window, but we need to make them stronger in the January window.
“We’ve been in so many games, in so many winning positions, and in so many tough situations, and so many of those games are going to be decided by the bench.
“We need the starting 11 to be as strong as possible, and we need
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