Kieran McKenna admits Omari Hutchinson ‘felt he couldn’t’ play for Ipswich Town in Carabao Cup

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Ipswich Town were knocked out of the Carabao Cup in the first round on Tuesday evening, as they were beaten by League Two Bromley on penalties.

The Tractor Boys were looking to build some confidence after a difficult opening weekend clash against Birmingham City, but they were pegged back just before half-time by the Ravens as Deji Elerewe opened the scoring for the hosts.

Ben Johnson equalised just after the break, but the Championship side failed to find that elusive second goal, sending the game to penalties. Ultimately, Bromley held their nerve and progressed through to the next round, leaving the Suffolk outfit to pick themselves up off the ground.

It was an extremely frustrating evening for Ipswich, and after the game, Kieran McKenna explained why Omari Hutchinson was not available to play.

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Kieran McKenna explains Omari Hutchinson’s Ipswich Town absence

Brentford have been keen on signing Hutchinson throughout the summer, but so far no deal between the versatile attacking player and any club has been agreed.

He remains at Portman Road, but he was left out of the squad against Bromley, and Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna has explained why he did not feature at Hayes Lane.

He said (via: East Anglian Daily Times): “He trained on Monday okay and then felt he couldn’t contribute today with the situation as it is. That was his decision.

“He made his desire to continue to play Premier League football if the opportunity is there. I think it’s known how much care and empathy we have for him, he’s a young player, 21 years old, it’s not an easy situation to handle.

“There’s different ways to handle the situation. That seems to be more prevalent in modern football and players get advice in different directions. He’s a very, very young player, so we have empathy with him.

“We’ll try and guide him in the right way in terms of how to deal with situations, but so long as he’s at the football club, we want him able to contribute and help the team on the pitch.”

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The Tractor Boys need a conclusion to the Omari Hutchinson saga

There are less than three weeks to go in the summer transfer window, and therefore McKenna will want to ensure that his team is settled ahead of the deadline.

However, with Hutchinson pushing for a move, this will be difficult and Ipswich need a conclusion to this situation. Yet, they must also get the fee that the player warrants.

It is, of course, frustrating for the 21-year-old after an excellent U21s European Championship with England, but until he gets a move, he is still a Tractor Boys player.

McKenna has a decision to make this weekend against Southampton as to whether Hutchinson comes back into the side, and he may well need him after two disjointed performances.