Ipswich Town fans will surely be concerned as Kieran McKenna explains Omari Hutchinson absence

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Ipswich Town brought their pre-season campaign to an end on Saturday afternoon with a 3-0 victory over French side Auxerre.

It all starts for real on Friday evening for the Tractor Boys as they face Birmingham City in the first Championship fixture of 2025/26, with Kieran McKenna’s side going all out for promotion back to the Premier League.

However, following relegation from the top flight, ensuring key players stay has been an issue. Liam Delap moved to Chelsea for £30m at the start of the summer, while there are question marks over Omari Hutchinson’s Portman Road future.

Now, McKenna has spoken out on why the Ipswich star was left out of the team for their victory over Auxerre.

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Kieran McKenna opens up on Omari Hutchinson’s Ipswich Town absence

Hutchinson played 31 times in the Premier League last season, scoring three times and registering two assists. But after an excellent U21s European Championship campaign with England, he has found himself at the centre of significant transfer interest.

Brentford still want the 21-year-old, and McKenna has explained more on his current situation. He said (via: East Anglian Daily Times): “Omari, a different situation. Of course, with the speculation around his future at the moment, he didn’t feel mentally in the right place to come for the game.

“It’s a challenging situation for everyone. He’s a player we love and we support, and we have empathy with the year that he’s been through.

“It’s an important moment in his career, but also the club have the right for their position as well. We’ll keep communicating and working on that situation. Hopefully it will be the best solution for the club and for the player.”

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The Tractor Boys need a conclusion to this saga soon

Ipswich are keen on Hayden Hackney, although the Middlesbrough ace wants Premier League football and a move is becoming tougher.

However, the saga surrounding Hutchinson needs a conclusion to it soon – whether he stays or goes.

The Tractor Boys will be fighting at the top of the Championship table next season, and they can ill-afford to have disputes raging on into the latter stages of the transfer window.

Finding a replacement for Hutchinson if he does go is vital, and therefore McKenna will want plenty of time to do so. Nevertheless, Ipswich are in control of the situation and he could remain in Suffolk.