Ipswich Town Suffer Blow Ahead Of Championship Restart
Ipswich Town have suffered a blow ahead of this Saturday’s Championship clash with Sheffield Wednesday after Wes Burns picked up an injury whilst on international duty with Wales.
The 28-year-old played a key role in the Tractor Boys’ promotion from League One last season and he has started all five of their league fixtures this term. Ipswich have enjoyed a fantastic start to life in the Championship and they currently sit in second place behind leaders Preston North End.
His domestic form earned him a call up to the Welsh national team for the first time last year and he earned his fifth cap last week when he appeared as a substitute in the 0-0 friendly draw with South Korea. However, it has since been revealed that the winger suffered a hamstring injury during the game which will see him miss out on tonight’s Euro 2024 qualifier against Latvia.
The severity of his injury is currently unknown, although Wales boss Rob Page confirmed that Burns has returned to Portman Road for treatment. Speaking to the media ahead of tonight’s clash, the former Northampton Town boss said;
“I didn’t want the game because I didn’t want to risk injuries. We’ve picked up an injury from that game, but there’s lots of positives to come out of it.
“Wes has come on and he’s tweaked his hamstring. We’ve got a duty of care for the player and for the club as well, so it was too risky to bring him (to Latvia).
“He’s pulled his hamstring, so it’s best off to send him back (to Ipswich).”
Burns has scored 22 goals in 93 appearances for Kieran McKenna’s side since joining from Fleetwood Town in 2021. His excellent showing in his debut campaign saw him named the club’s Player of the Year and he was rewarded with a contract extension, keeping him in East Anglia until 2025.
Writer’s View
Kieran McKenna will be hoping that the injury to Burns isn’t a serious one and that his return to Portman Road is just precautionary. He is seen as a key player at Portman Road and he will be needed over the next few weeks, with the games coming thick and fast upon the resumption of Championship football.
Ipswich will be quietly targeting back-to-back promotions and a return to the Premier League for the first time since 2002. A tough run of fixtures is on the horizon, with a trip to Southampton following this Saturday’s visit to Hillsborough.
