McKenna Confirms Hutchinson’s Absence Against Forest Following Dorgu’s Careless Tackle

Kieran McKenna, the manager of Ipswich Town, addressed the media during his latest press briefing as his team gears up to face Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup on Monday evening.

McKenna began by announcing that forward Omari Hutchinson is likely to be sidelined for several matches following a knee injury sustained after a reckless challenge from Manchester United defender Patrick Dorgu, which led to Hutchinson’s suspension before half-time at Old Trafford.

“Omari has undergone scans, and it’s an injury in the knee region,” McKenna stated.

“Fortunately, it doesn’t appear to be extremely serious, but it is still significant. He definitely won’t play in the next match and quite possibly in the following few games, which is really disappointing.”

He then discussed midfielder Kalvin Phillips, who missed the match against United due to a calf injury sustained in the preceding game against Spurs. McKenna confirmed that Phillips will not take part in the upcoming match against Forest and is currently recovering away from the pitch.

“Kalvin is making good progress, but we’re not entirely sure when he’ll be back. He isn’t training with the squad today nor will he be for the next few days, so it’s a day-by-day assessment.”

There is a chance that goalkeeper Aro Muric could return to the team as McKenna considers rotation; however, he noted that Muric is dealing with a minor shoulder issue that could keep him out of action.

“It’s a possibility; he’s managing a slight shoulder issue at the moment. That’s something we will need to take into account,” he mentioned.

“It’s great that he’s making himself available for selection, but we also have to keep in mind this ongoing little problem.”

“I’ll need to make some assessments in the next couple of days and consider his medical condition, but it’s certainly plausible that he might play, though we’ll have to take this issue into consideration as well.”

Julio Enciso, currently on loan from Brighton, has been out of action since the match against Aston Villa due to a knee injury and will not be eligible to feature in the upcoming cup tie at the City Ground. McKenna noted that remaining at the club has positively impacted Enciso’s English language skills and his ability to communicate.

“He’s not yet back on the training pitch, but he is progressing well. It’s beneficial for him to be around the club and the team,” McKenna said.

“It also aids his English, given that there aren’t many Spanish speakers here. If he’s to be understood, it will have to be in English. He’s putting in the effort at the gym, and we’re hopeful he’ll be back on the grass soon.”

Lastly, he discussed wingers Chiedozie Ogbene and Wes Burns, both of whom are ruled out for the rest of the season due to Achilles and ACL tears requiring surgical intervention. McKenna acknowledged the challenges posed by these injuries but emphasised the need to make the best of a difficult situation as the season progresses.

“It’s undoubtedly been a significant issue for us,” he admitted.

“Losing Wes and Chieo to two of the most serious injuries a player can endure, both season-ending and with their unique profiles, has posed a considerable challenge for us.

“Along with some unfortunate injuries, we’ve also dealt with various niggles and contact-related issues, which have disrupted our efforts throughout the season. That has presented us with numerous challenges this year.

“However, we must strive to make the most of the situation, even if we’ve been hoping for a bit more fortune in this regard.

“We definitely didn’t get that luck with Omari the other night. Even in the minutes he managed to play, I suspect he was enduring much more pain than he displayed because he’s such a courageous player.

“To lose him in the later stages of the match against a tightly packed defence, when he’s possibly our most crucial player in that scenario, and then to lose him for additional games is a setback.

“We’ve faced these challenges all season, but what we can control is our response, and we need to ensure we react positively to these setbacks.”