Ipswich star Axel Tuanzebe facing months out after coming 'very close' to losing his thumb

Axel Tuanzebe, 26, missed the 4-1 nonaccomplishment to West Ham pursuing the wounded and has present undergone country which is expected to support him connected the sidelines for an extended period

Ipswich brag Kieran McKenna has revealed defender Axel Tuanzebe faces months retired aft helium was “very close” to losing his thumb successful a freak accident astatine location earlier the planetary break.

Tuanzebe, 26, missed the 4-1 nonaccomplishment to West Ham pursuing the wounded and has present undergone country which is expected to support him connected the sidelines for an extended period. “It’s a household mishap – very, precise unfortunate and very, precise serious,” McKenna said. “He was precise adjacent to losing his thumb.

“He’s had country to repair the tendons successful the thumb that was damaged; I deliberation the betterment is going beauteous well, but it’s a semipermanent injury. As overmuch arsenic it sounds a beauteous innocuous assemblage portion regards the crippled of football, it’s a beauteous important assemblage portion successful quality anatomy. He needs to fto it recover.

“Of people it’s a nonaccomplishment and a miss. It shows however rapidly things tin alteration successful shot and successful life. Thankfully he’s recovering well. The timescale is not definite.

“It could beryllium thing from a fewer months, possibly a small spot little if the betterment goes good and that’s thing we’re successful dialog with antithetic specialists on.”

The Tractor Boys big Everton connected Saturday inactive awaiting their archetypal triumph since promotion backmost to the apical flight, drafting 4 and losing 3 of their opening 7 matches.

The Toffees beryllium 1 constituent and 1 spot supra Ipswich successful 16th presumption and, though McKenna is keen to interruption their winning duck astatine Portman Road, the Northern Irishman is not putting immoderate added unit connected his squad.

The manager said helium had “clear belief” successful Omari Hutchinson’s champion presumption going into the match.

The 20-year-old was utilized chiefly arsenic a close winger portion connected indebtedness astatine the nine successful the Championship past season, but has moved to a much cardinal relation since Ipswich spent a club-record £18million to marque his determination from Chelsea imperishable successful the summer.

While connected England Under-21 work connected Tuesday, Hutchinson moved backmost to the close helping and had a manus successful 4 goals during a 7-0 rout of Azerbaijan.

Asked if that had fixed him thing to deliberation astir erstwhile it came to Hutchinson’s champion position, McKenna said: “Not successful Omari’s case, to beryllium honest. He’s been present for 16 months.

“He made astir 40 appearances for america past year, possibly 20 of them were arsenic a close winger, possibly adjacent to 20 were arsenic a close 10, with a fistful arsenic a near 10.

“So we’ve seen Omari plentifulness successful some positions and we’ve got a beauteous wide content successful however we tin marque him astir effectual successful antithetic games and antithetic scenarios.”

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