McKenna discusses the possibility of losing two key players during major international competitions.

The club will have to get used to the inconvenience of international call-ups, according to Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna.

Seven Blues players are now abroad, representing their countries: Elkan Baggott (Indonesia U23s), Sam Morsy (Egypt), Cameron Burgess (Australia), Cieran Slicker (Scotland U21s), and new Tottenham loanee Dane Scarlett (England U21s).

While Burgess, who resided in Australia from the age of 10 to 16, has been equally pleased with his first-ever senior selection, Morsy, whose father was raised in Cairo, has been waiting five years for his international recall.

The AFC Asian Cup and the African Cup of Nations both take place in January and February, therefore Ipswich may be missing two important players for a few games of the Championship season, and possibly more if Massimo Luongo can rejoin the Australian team.

I’m happy for all the players, McKenna remarked. “I believe that as a club, we should be proud since not too long ago, we didn’t have any international players.

“I am aware of Jack Taylor’s connections to the Republic of Ireland, and I believe that Massimo Luongo is also pounding on that door with great vigor.

“So be it if some of them travel to important competitions. International competitions and playing on Sunday and Monday nights are both annoyances in the modern game.

We want to sit at this table, so say it out loud. Players receiving this exposure and participating in these competitions is something we want since it will ultimately benefit the club.

“They’ll gain knowledge from the experiences, hopefully improve as gamers, and ideally that will help everyone else improve.

We’ll handle those call-ups if they occur since doing so will help the club advance and reestablish itself.

WHEN ARE THESE IMPORTANT TEAMS?

From January 13 to February 11, the Ivory Coast will host the African Cup of Nations.

 

During that time, Ipswich plays host to Sunderland, Leicester, Rotherham, Preston, and West Brom.

 

Prior to their final encounter against Egypt on Monday night, Egypt had already secured first place in Group D.

 

In February 2022, the Pharoahs lost to Senegal on penalties in the final of the previous African Cup of Nations.

 

The AFC Asian Cup will take place in Qatar from January 21 to February 10, which is a fairly comparable time frame.

As a result of winning all eight of its Group B games, Australia has already qualified.

Last year, the Socceroos advanced to the tournament’s quarterfinals before losing 1-0 to the United Arab Emirates to finish last.