Kieran McKenna Addresses Media on Player Status, Team Form, and Upcoming Forest Match

Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna addressed reporters ahead of the club’s Premier League fixture against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, scheduled for a 15:00 GMT kick-off. The following are the main points from his press briefing: Regarding injuries, McKenna confirmed there are no “fresh issues.” Kalvin Phillips and Ben Johnson continue to be unavailable, while the status of longer-term absentees “are still being assessed.” The Ipswich manager stated he is “not aware” of or “interested in” any potential buy-back clause held by Manchester City for their in-form striker, Liam Delap. McKenna emphasized, “Liam’s full focus is here and on the team and trying to help the team while continuing his own improvement.” Addressing the team’s progress following their acquisition of four points from matches against Tottenham and Manchester United, McKenna commented: “I think you look at the performances in both games and there was a lot of positives to take but it’s up to us to continue that. We feel like we are in pretty good form but it’s about the next game – a tough game against Nottingham Forest. We need to step up again.” McKenna expressed satisfaction that his squad is “competing well and have generally been hard to beat” since their promotion to the Premier League, noting that there are “positives” to be drawn from their displays thus far. Regarding Omari Hutchinson, McKenna stated: “It’s enjoyable seeing a hungry, talented young player getting to grips with the league and trying to make an impact. He’s been a positive through the season but certainly in the last few games. He was maybe the standout attacker on the pitch against Manchester United. He is making good strides. Lots to go.” Commenting on Nottingham Forest, McKenna remarked: “They’ve got a lot of very good players, they’ve got a really talented squad and an experienced Premier League manager who has done well at clubs before. They have had some fantastic results, winning at Anfield, we know it is going to be tough but it’s another good challenge for us.”