Kieran McKenna may have one Ipswich Town regret as they sweat on George Hirst issue | OneFootball

Highlights

It has been an outstanding season for Ipswich Town so far in the Championship.

The Tractor Boys were promoted from League One last season, and they have seamlessly made the step-up to the second tier, spending much of the campaign in the automatic promotion places.

It has been a disappointing few weeks for Kieran McKenna's side, and they are now without a win in their last four games after they were held to a 0-0 draw by struggling Queens Park Rangers at Portman Road on Friday night.

However, Ipswich remain second in the table, and they are three points clear of third-placed Southampton ahead of the trip to face Stoke City at the bet365 Stadium on New Year's Day.

McKenna: Hirst is "significant"

The Tractor Boys are currently sweating over the fitness of striker George Hirst, who was substituted in the first half of the 1-1 draw against Leicester City on Boxing Day with a hamstring injury, and while the extent of the problem is still being assessed, McKenna described the injury as "significant".

"It's still being assessed, but it's a significant injury to his hamstring," McKenna told the East Anglian Daily Times.

"He's had some scans and he'll be seeing a specialist to get further clarification on what timescales we're looking at.

"It's not a very short-term injury. I think we can say that clearly. We should be able to put a clearer timescale on it next week.

"It's a big blow.

"He's been very, very important to how we play and he's developed a lot over the last 12 months.

"It's not easy to step into those shoes, but we have strikers here who have done well for us in cup competitions and have been training well. Of course we're also pretty close to a transfer window where we'll try and add to the squad."

Hirst's injury leaves Freddie Ladapo and Kayden Jackson as the only senior strikers at the club, and he was certainly missed in the draw against QPR on Friday night.

While Ladapo and Jackson are both capable performers at Championship level, McKenna may be frustrated he is unable to call upon Dane Scarlett after the 19-year-old was recalled by Tottenham Hotspur.

Dane Scarlett's Ipswich exit may be a regret for McKenna

Scarlett joined the Tractor Boys on loan this summer, but he struggled to establish himself in the starting line-up at the club, with all of his 12 appearances coming as a substitute.

Spurs have opted to bring Scarlett back from his temporary spell at Portman Road, and his departure is bad timing for McKenna, with Hirst potentially facing an extended period on the sidelines.

There are question marks over whether Scarlett would have been able to provide the goals to fire Ipswich to promotion, having netted just six goals in 40 appearances for Portsmouth in League One last season, but he is a player with huge potential, underlined by the fact he has played for England at U21 level.

Had Scarlett featured more regularly for the Tractor Boys in the first half of the season, it is unlikely that he would have been recalled by Spurs, and he would have been a useful option for McKenna with Hirst currently unavailable.

Ipswich are keen to strengthen their forward line in the January transfer window, and according to journalist Alan Nixon, the Tractor Boys could spend up to £3 million on a striker, and they are willing to pay up to £15,000 per week in wages.

The East Anglian Daily Times claim that Ipswich have enquired about Fulham striker Jay Stansfield, who is currently on loan at Birmingham City, but that could be a complicated deal to complete, while they also face competition for his signature from Sunderland.

With no guarantee that they will be able to recruit a striker early in the window, McKenna may be frustrated he does not have Scarlett at his disposal as his side face a crucial period in the battle for automatic promotion.