Big Ipswich Town blow could force Marcus Harness to step up: View | OneFootball

Ipswich Town are set to return to Championship action on Good Friday, which is the start of the final run-in of the season.

The Tractor Boys returned to the second tier at the end of last season, and they haven’t just used this campaign as a chance to find their feet, in fact, Kieran McKenna’s side have continued their fine form and have been one of the best sides in the division.

Ipswich have managed to play free-flowing attacking football, which has also got them results, and that has seen them fight for the automatic places during the whole of the campaign so far.

This two-week international break has allowed teams to re-group and rest up, while it has also been an opportunity for injured players to get back to fitness.

However, for Ipswich, that hasn’t been the case, as Wes Burns looks set to miss not only this Easter weekend but also the rest of this season.

Wes Burns could miss the rest of the season

Wes Burns has once again been an important figure for Ipswich this season, so seeing him limp off in the 6-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday before the international break would have been a concern.

After that game, Kieran McKenna confirmed that the Welsh international, who has scored five goals and three assists in the league, had damaged his hamstring, and it didn’t look good.

Of course, that meant Burns missed Wales’ two important Euro 2024 qualification play-off games, but it now looks as though he could miss a lot more.

Speaking ahead of Ipswich’s game against Blackburn Rovers, McKenna has revealed that Burns’ injury may mean the winger might not return to action before the end of the 2023/24 season.

The Ipswich boss said it is not impossible that Burns returns to action before the end of the season, but they will just have to “wait and see.”

So, with Burns possibly not returning to action this season, it will mean McKenna needs to see his other players step up and try and stake a claim for that right-wing role.

One player who definitely needs to step up now in Ipswich’s time of need is Marcus Harness, who has had a testing campaign so far.

Wes Burns’ injury for Ipswich could force Marcus Harness to step up

At this point in the season, many teams up and down the English Football League are dealing with injuries across their squads.

The demands of the seasons do put a strain on the squads, but while Ipswich still have to manage their players, they could be considered luckier than others, as they do have a big squad, and what comes with that is a wealth of options.

So, with Wes Burns out injured and possibly missing the rest of the season, it is time some of the other players at the club to step up and see it as a chance to claim a spot in the starting XI.

With the injury to Burns happening, it is likely that Omari Hutchinson is going to be the one called upon to replace the Welshman, with Nathan Broadhead continuing on the left-hand side.

That would leave Jeremy Sarmiento and Marcus Harness on the bench, ready to make an impact when called upon.

Harness in particular has had a testing time this season because, while he has featured in 33 league games, the 28-year-old has only started seven games, with his role being more of an impact player of the bench.

This will have been frustrating for the winger, as he did play an important role in last season’s promotion campaign.

However, while he hasn’t started many games, Harness has delivered in big moments, scoring four goals and chipping in with two assists so far.

Harness it outperforming his xG, which currently stands at 2.80, and he is scoring a goal every 238 minutes of football, as per Sofascore.com.

Furthermore, the winger isn’t getting many minutes under his belt, so he isn’t having much of an impact in front of goal, as shown with his 0.7 shots on goal.

The 28-year-old has also underwhelmed in creating chances for his teammates, as he’s grabbed one assist, but he has an xA of 1.82. While Harness has also created one big chance so far this season and has just made 0.4 key passes, per Sofascore.com.

Obviously, it is hard for a player to be producing top numbers when, for the majority of the season, he has just been getting minutes here and there.

But with Burns’ injury occurring, this is a chance for Harness to try and show McKenna what he can bring to the table and why he should be playing more for Ipswich.

As mentioned, Hutchinson may replace him straight away, but that doesn’t mean Harness won’t be needed, so the winger needs to be ready when called upon, as he could be about to get more minutes on the pitch in the weeks to come.