Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna has done just that said Ben Johnson’s absence is due to strong ‘competition’ for places.
Ipswich Town are back in Championship action on Tuesday evening at home against Charlton Athletic. ITFC will look to bounce back from their 2-1 defeat to Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium last Friday.
The Tractor Boys are in twelfth place in the table after nine games. They are four points away from the play-offs behind Leicester City, West Brom and Millwall.
The 25-year-old Johnson has struggled for playing time so far this season. He has made just four appearances in all competitions, three of which have appeared in the league.
McKenna shared this update on his situation, according to a report from TWTD: “Ben is fit and he has trained very well, I must say. Of course there is stiff competition with Darnell at right back.” [Furlong] and Ashley [Young] have done well in their matches since joining the team.
“We know Ben is a very versatile player. He has trained very well, both at left back and higher up on the right. We know he can give us good options in those positions as well as at right back. But at the moment we have almost everyone fit.”
Ipswich Town latest over Ben Johnson
Ipswich town Johnson signed in July last year following their promotion to the Premier League. ITFC handed him a four-year contract running until 2028, and he was brought in to strengthen their defensive department.
The full-back has since made 30 appearances for the Tractor Boys, including 26 in the last campaign. They slipped out of the top flight after finishing in the bottom three along with Southampton and Leicester City.
Johnson has since found it difficult to get into the starting line-up, amid competition on both defensive flanks from the likes of Darnell Furlong, Ashley Young and Leif Davies. Before moving to Suffolk, he spent his entire career to date at West Ham.
He rose through the Hammers’ academy and was a regular for them at various youth levels. The former England youth international went on to break into their first team, making a total of 109 appearances before heading out the exit door for a new challenge at Portman Road.
Ben Johnson Stats
What next for Ben Johnson at Ipswich Town?
Ipswich Town may have to make a decision on Johnson’s future if he is not given more opportunities. ITFC is looking forward to immediate promotion from the Football League.
The London-born man does not want to be on the sidelines. Therefore, the Tractor Boys must consider his options ahead of the January transfer window.
Letting him go would free up space and money in their ranks to pave the way for winter reinforcements. However, they could be short of backup at the back.
McKenna’s men have had a fairly inconsistent start to this term. They were disappointed with their result against Middlesbrough and ultimately failed to find an equalizer.
Ipswich Town next face a Charlton Athletic team who have adapted well to the step up to a higher division after winning the League One play-off final against Leyton Orient at Wembley earlier this year. The Addicks defeated Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 in their last outing.
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