McKenna on Broja links, O'Shea and cup ambitions
- Published
Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna has been speaking to the media before Wednesday's EFL Cup trip to AFC Wimbledon (kick-off 19:45 BST).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
On what kind of team will be put out for the cup match: "We'll utilise the squad for sure, we've made a lot of additions and we feel like it's going to help us over the course of the season. There will be a lot of changes from Saturday."
On cup ambitions: "We want to win to play another round, and beyond that we want to progress in the competition. The priority now is getting minutes into the group and moulding the players into a team."
McKenna confirmed that new signings Dara O'Shea and Jack Clarke are available for selection tomorrow: "Dara will bring a lot of experience and leadership to our backline. He's really strong in his duels and with his pace. Jack has got some real quality in the final third. He carries the ball well and has goals and assists from the left hand side. He gives us some different qualities that we don't have."
On more potential incomings: "We're going to stay active right until Friday. There's the possibility, but we'll only do it if we feel it's in the right interest of the club. We know that [the forward line] is an area where depth is most important to us."
On links to Armando Broja: "We've spoken to him, I think that's well known. There's ongoing discussions with Chelsea but I've not been privy to them over the last 24 hours. We'll see if it's the right thing for the club and the player."
On Wednesday's opponents: "They've made a good start. I know Johnnie [Johnnie Jackson, Wimbledon manager] very well and we feel like we know Wimbledon well. They are always a threat for scoring goals and play with a lot of bodies high up the pitch. I'm sure they'll look to create a difficult game for us."
McKenna confirmed that Cieran Slicker will stay at the club this season after links to a loan move: "He's developing really well here, he's improving all the time. We want to have three strong goalkeepers and he's a part of that. We feel that this is the best place for his development."
