Ipswich Town may be without Wes Burns for the rest of the season and therefore, it could mean they need to call upon Marcus Harness.
Good Friday marks the beginning of the season’s final run-in for Ipswich Town, who will be back in action in the Championship.
After finishing the previous season in the second division, the Tractor Boys made a comeback, and this year they haven’t just taken it easy; under Kieran McKenna, they have been among the best teams in the division.
Through their ability to play free-flowing, attacking football and their ability to achieve results, Ipswich has fought for automatic spots throughout the entire campaign thus far.
Teams have had time to regroup and recuperate over this two-week international break, and injured players have had a chance to regain fitness.
That hasn’t been the case for Ipswich, though, as Wes Burns appears destined to miss not just this Easter weekend but the remainder of the season.
Wes Burns could miss the rest of the season
Wes Burns was a key player for Ipswich again this season, so it would have been concerning to see him hobble off in the team’s 6-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday prior to the international break.
The Welsh international, who has five goals and three assists in the league, seems to have injured his hamstring after that match, according to Kieran McKenna.
Burns missed Wales’ two crucial Euro 2024 qualification play-off matches as a result, of course, but it now appears like he may miss a lot more.
Prior to Ipswich’s matchup with Blackburn Rovers, McKenna disclosed that Burns’ injury might prevent the winger from playing again before the 2023–2024 campaign concludes.
It’s possible that Burns will make a comeback before the season ends, according to the Ipswich boss, but for now, they’ll simply have to “wait and see.”
Given that Burns could not play again this season, McKenna will need to see his other players come up and compete for the right-wing position.
Marcus Harness, who has so far had a difficult campaign, is one man who most certainly needs to come up now in Ipswich’s hour of need.
Wes Burns’ injury for Ipswich could force Marcus Harness to step up
Many teams in the English Football League are now suffering with injuries throughout their squads.
The teams are strained by the demands of the seasons, but even if Ipswich still has to manage its players, they may be in a better position than others because of their large roster and the abundance of possibilities that accompanies it.
It is now time for some of the other players at the team to step up and take it as an opportunity to secure a spot in the starting XI, as Wes Burns is out injured and may miss the remainder of the season.
Due to Burns’ injury, Omari Hutchinson will probably be asked to take over for the Welshman, with Nathan Broadhead maintaining his position on the left.
Marcus Harness and Jeremy Sarmiento would then be left on the sidelines, prepared to provide when needed.
This season, Harness in particular has faced challenges since, although playing in 33 league games, the 28-year-old has only started seven of them, mostly as a bench impact player.
The winger, who was instrumental in the previous season’s promotion push, must have been disappointed by this.
| Marcus Harness’ 2023/24 Championship stats for Ipswich | Total |
|---|---|
| Matches played | 33 |
| Minutes per game | 29 |
| Goals | 4 |
| xG | 2.80 |
| Shots per game | 0.7 |
| Assists | 1 |
| xA | 1.82 |
| Big chances created | 1 |
| Average rating | 6.78 |
| As per Sofascore.com (As it stands on the 28th of March) | |
Harness hasn’t started many games, but when it counts, he’s performed admirably, tallying four goals and dishing out two assists so far. According to Sofascore.com, this outpaces his xG, which stands at 2.80, and he’s scoring a goal every 238 minutes of football. Moreover, the winger isn’t playing a lot of minutes, which indicates that he’s not making much of an impact in front of goal, as evidenced by his 0.7 shots on goal. The 28-year-old hasn’t done well in terms of creating chances for his teammates, either, as he’s grabbed one assist but has an xA of 1.82. Additionally, Harness has only created one big chance this season and has made 0.4 crucial passes, according to Sofascore.com.
This season, the winger has been essential to the team’s success thus far.
Naturally, it is difficult for a player to be putting up great stats if he has only been getting sporadic minutes for the most of the season.
However, Harness has an opportunity to demonstrate to McKenna his value as an asset and the reasons he ought to be playing more for the Islanders in light of Burns’ setback.
As previously stated, Hutchinson might take his spot right away, but that doesn’t mean Harness won’t be needed. As a result, the winger needs to be prepared for his calls because he might soon be getting more playing time in the upcoming weeks.
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