Ipswich Town head back to the Racecourse Ground this weekend for another meeting with Wrexham, as Kieran McKenna faces the media ahead of a fixture that already carries a bit of edge.
Town will be looking to sharpen up after recent bumps, while Wrexham’s home form and atmosphere always make it a tricky trip.
Kieran McKenna confirmed that Jaden Philogene remains sidelined after what he described as a “little setback” in his MCL recovery.
The Town boss stressed how tricky that type of injury can be, with the final stage of rehab often unpredictable.
“We’re disappointed not to have Jaden this weekend — and disappointed for him too,” he said.
A decision will be made on Wes Burns closer to the weekend, while Marcelino Núñez has recovered well and is available for the trip to Wrexham.
Ashley Young is “recovering well but not on the pitch yet”, with McKenna expecting it to be a few more weeks before he’s running again.
“We hope to have him back at some point this season. We miss him every day.”
McKenna admitted it feels like“a really, really long time” since the Derby match, with the squad eager to get back into a rhythm ahead of a busy run of fixtures.
He said last week’s visit to Wrexham,“a new ground for most of the group,” was useful in terms of seeing the pitch and environment.
With almost a month until they get a full training week, Town have tried to make the most of recent sessions.
“We’re looking forward to the busy spell — the next one is always coming quickly,” McKenna added.
The manager offered strong backing for George Hirst amid his recent goal drought, praising both his work on the training pitch and his wider contribution. “He’s really important to us,” McKenna said.
“He’s a player we signed for £1m in League One who scored goals that got us two promotions, plus in the Premier League. There can’t be many clubs that’ve had better value for a striker than that.”
He highlighted Hirst’s commitment to the club and his desire to be here, insisting the striker deserves respect and support.
“He hasn’t hit top form in the last month or so, but he certainly has my backing — and we’re going to need him between now and the rest of the season.”
McKenna touched on the role of social media, saying it’s something the staff regularly discuss with players. “There are always opinions from the outside, and you can’t be swayed by that,” he said. He called it an important topic in modern football and stressed the club’s focus on supporting individuals.
McKenna doesn’t believe Wrexham’s midweek game will affect their freshness on Saturday. He also played down comparisons to previous seasons, saying they aren’t helpful at this stage.
“All the games are going to be tough; let’s start by trying to win on Saturday.”
