Steven Taylor: Ipswich Town to invite injured defender back for pre-season

Steven Taylor joined Ipswich from Portland Timbers in January.

Ipswich Town will give defender Steven Taylor a chance to prove his fitness ahead of next season.

Taylor, 31, will miss the rest of the current campaign with a hamstring injury but has been invited back for pre-season training.

"He's been such a positive influence around the place," boss Mick McCarthy told BBC Radio Suffolk.

Meanwhile, left-back Jonas Knudsen will not need surgery on the shoulder injury that rules him out of the run-in.

Former Newcastle centre-back Taylor went off in the first half of the 3-0 win over Wigan on Tuesday with a recurrence of the injury that had kept him out since February.

"If he's fit, he'll be a really good player," McCarthy said.

"He's a good pro, he trains brilliantly. If he wants to come back and have a pre-season next season , I'm sure everybody would be happy to see him."