‘Too risky’ – Ipswich Town star picks up hamstring concern on international duty
Ipswich Town winger Wes Burns has pulled out of the squad for Wales’ friendly against Latvia after tweaking his hamstring against South Korea.
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Ipswich Town man Burns has been a mainstay for Kieran McKenna in the early stages of the season, starting all five games as the Tractor Boys have collected 12 points from a possible 15.
He maintained a place in Rob Page’s Wales squad for the latest round of international fixtures too but after coming on off the bench to feature against South Korea last week, it has emerged that the 28-year-old will not be able to feature against Latvia.
Speaking to the press (quotes via TWTD), Page revealed that Burns has picked up a hamstring concern, meaning he has been left behind while the rest of the squad jets to Riga.
Here’s what he had to say on the matter:
“Wes came on and he’s tweaked his hamstring.
We’ve got a duty of care to the player and for the club as well, so I think it was too risky to bring him. He’s pulled his hamstring, so it’s best off to send him back.”
Time will tell just what the extent of Burns’ injury is but fans will be keen to hear more, perhaps coming when Town boss McKenna previews this weekend’s trip against Sheffield Wednesday later this week.
In his absence
While a spell on the sidelines for Burns would definitely come as a blow for McKenna and Ipswich Town, he has the options in his squad to maintain a strong XI even without the Welshman if he needs a bit of time to recover.
Omari Hutchinson would probably be the leading contender to come into the starting XI. Sone Aluko could also come into contention, as could Marcus Harness, who appeared as a substitute in the first four Championship games before missing out on the squad completely against Cardiff City.
In his five starts so far this season, Burns has managed one assist. Having been a fruitful provider of goals and assists from the right in League One, he’ll be determined to add more to his tally to prove himself in the second-tier.
In-form Coventry City ace opens up on summer transfer interest – Ipswich, Derby among sides linked
Coventry City striker Matty Godden has confirmed he was aware of summer transfer interest but the situation didn’t take long to resolve after talks with the club.
Coventry City man Godden saw speculation circulate over his future in the summer transfer window. With big fees paid for Ellis Simms and Haji Wright and the striker now 32, some thought he could be one pushed down the pecking order under Mark Robins.
However, with three goals in five Championship games thus far and four in six across all competitions, Godden has proven he remains a valuable figure for the Sky Blues.
He did draw interest over the summer though. League One side Derby County were linked in their search for a striker while Ipswich Town and QPR were also mentioned as admirers.
Now, speaking to Coventry Live, Godden has been quizzed on the interest in his services. The ex-Peterborough United and Stevenage man confirmed he was aware of the attention he was drawing, but talks with the club quickly swept aside any concerns. He said:
“Yeah, but at the end of the day that’s part of football.
“I was coming into the last year of my contract and there’s always going to be talk around players who are in that situation. But when the talks had started with the football club it was a matter of days before it was sorted, so that was all just brushed under the carpet and that was that.”
Here to stay
Godden’s deal was running out so amid the summer transfer interest, the club moved quickly to tie him down to a new deal. He signed for two years, keeping him onboard until 2025.
His early-season form has showed just what he’s still capable of at this level. Seeing him find this form at another club wouldn’t been a sore one for Coventry and manager Robins, so all parties involved will have been grateful for the new contract agreement.
While big-money signings Simms and Wright take a bit of time to get accustomed to life with Coventry City, the hope will be that Godden can maintain this momentum and keep chipping in with important goals for Robins.
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