Kieran McKenna drops fresh update on Wes Burns at Ipswich Town - fans will be happy | OneFootball

Wes Burns has not played for Ipswich Town since January

Kieran McKenna has claimed that Wes Burns will be ready to make his return to the Ipswich Town team after the November international break.

The 30-year-old has not featured for the Suffolk outfit since 25 January, playing 28 minutes in a 4-1 loss to Liverpool before having to come off in the first half.

An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear has cost him the last 10 months of his career, including keeping him out of the Tractor Boys’ side into the start of this season.

The Welshman was a key part of the side prior to his fitness issue, playing 18 times in the Premier League last season.

Burns has made a total of 114 appearances in the EFL for Ipswich, proving an important part of their 2023 and 2024 promotion successes.

Kieran McKenna provides Wes Burns update

McKenna has confirmed that Burns has made a return to non-contact training over the October international break, but that he won’t be ready to play in the side for a number of weeks still.

The Ipswich boss has cited the November break as a timeframe for when he might be ready to be involved in the side as they aim to fight for promotion back to the Premier League.

"Wes has started to integrate back into the group with non-contact training,” said McKenna, via the club’s X account.

“He's been a good presence.

“Hopefully, after the next international break, he'll be fully involved again."

Ipswich have made a mixed start to the new Championship season without Burns, having been relegated from the Premier League with a 19th place finish.

The Tractor Boys are coming back from the international break with the side sitting ninth in the table, six points adrift of the leaders Coventry City but with a game in hand.

Next up for McKenna’s side is a Friday night trip to second place Middlesbrough, where a victory at the Riverside will close the gap between the two teams to just two points.

Wes Burns return will be welcome at Ipswich

Burns has proven a very useful player under McKenna, with his versatility in particular making him a great asset to have.

An ACL tear is a terrible injury for a player to recover from, and patience will be needed even once he’s back in the side and earning minutes.

A November return will certainly be welcome at Portman Road, and it should be a boost to their promotion push, but it could still take him weeks, or even months, to get back to his best form again.