Despite confirming his January departure to Stoke City, Kieran McKenna maintains that Ali Al-Hamadi still has a future at Ipswich Town. Al-Hamadi made his debut last week after taking over Tom Cannon’s number nine shirt, who had scored 11 goals on loan before being called up by Leicester City earlier in the month and subsequently sold to Sheffield United. Al-Hamadi joined Ipswich 12 months ago from AFC Wimbledon and helped the team advance to the Premier League, but he has only been used as a substitute in the top division, with Liam Delap, Sammie Szmodics, and a healthy George Hirst competing for action.

McKenna has also allowed Harry Clarke, a former Stoke loan defender, to sign a loan deal with the Blades, who are vying for promotion. However, he has made it clear that he will be closely monitoring both players’ development before they return to Portman Road for preseason.

For them, they are good prospects, he told the East Anglian Daily Times. These are athletes who have performed well here and who still have a chance to play for the team.

We constantly strive to strike the correct balance between allowing players to advance in their careers for their own sake and their goals, as well as for a football team to continue building its assets, and making sure we have enough competition and cover in the squad without having too much.

We believe that both of those lads should take advantage of this chance to go play. Naturally, we will stay in touch with them and keep a close watch on them because they are both very young. I hope they do well in the Championship in the second half of the season.

The 22-year-old Al-Hamadi has a deal with Ipswich that runs through 2028.