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Ipswich: Flynn Downes pick up injury on international duty
Ipswich face a nervous wait to see if young midfielder Flynn Downes will be fit for Sunday’s League One clash against Accrington Stanley.
The club’s official website itfc.co.uk reported that the 20-year-old incurred a hip injury for England’s under-20 side towards the end of their 0-3 defeat to Czech Republic on Monday night and will receive treatment during the week.
Ipswich physio Matt Byard told itfc.co.uk: “It’s an impact injury to his left hip. We will see how it settles down over the next few days before we have a clearer idea of whether he will be okay for the weekend.”
Downes established himself as a regular presence in Ipswich’s first team last season, making 29 Championship appearances, and he has been a core part of Paul Lambert’s line-up this term, starting all 11 League One matches so far for the Tractor Boys.
The midfielder has completed the full 90 minutes in all but two of those and has one goal and one assist to his name in 2019/20, albeit with both goal involvements coming in August. [via TransferMarkt]
He has proven to be a tidy, well-rounded member of the Ipswich side, with match averages of 1.3 successful aerial duels, 2.5 successful tackles, 1.6 interceptions, 38.7 passes, 0.8 key passes and 1.4 dribbles, with a passing success rate of 80%. [via WhoScored]
If he does not recover in time for the Accrington game, there could be a vacancy in central midfield for Andre Dozzell, who has had just two league starts this season and last played in the 1-0 win at Gillingham in September.
His statistics suggest that he may be slightly better on the ball than Downes, with an 80.4% passing success rate and 1.7 key passes per game, but with just 1.3 tackles per game and no interceptions this season, he could struggle to replicate his midfield colleague’s ability to break up the opposition’s play.
Downes’ ball-winning ability will be difficult to replace if he isn’t fit for Sunday, while his near-constant presence in the team this season shows that Lambert sees him as a vital part of the Ipswich line-up.
At least the alternative in Dozzell looks like he would be a composed midfielder to bring into the team if he is called upon to replace his young colleague.
Ipswich fans, how much of a blow would Downes’ absence be if he misses the Accrington game? Comment below with your views!
