Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna has provided an injury update regarding winger Chiedozie Ogbene, having been stretchered off away to Brentford.

Ogbene injured in Ipswich defeat to Brentford

The Tractor Boys suffered a heartbreaking day at the office on Saturday afternoon, eventually losing 4-3 to Thomas Frank’s Bees side.

Ipswich led 2-0 in the first half, only to see that lead evaporate and for the visitors to trail 3-2, but it looked as though Liam Delap had earned his side a point with a late equaliser, despite Harry Clarke’s red card.

There was still time for Brentford to find a winner, however, and Bryan Mbeumo struck deep into stoppage time to inflict a cruel loss on the Tractor Boys, who are still searching for their first win back in the Premier League after nine matches.

Not only was Ipswich’s defeat tough to take, but a serious-looking injury to Ogbene compounded their misery, with the 27-year-old forced off on a stretcher after picking up an Achilles issue. Now, further information has emerged regarding the severity of the issue.

McKenna provides Ogbene injury update

Speaking after the game on Saturday [via RTE], McKenna revealed that Ipswich ace Ogbene could be set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines, with his injury described as “serious”:

“It looks serious, unfortunately. It looks like it could be an Achilles tear, so that would be devastating for him and for us. That’s what I’ve been told at the moment. We hope that won’t be the case but I think that’s what looks most likely.

“Is it a six-to-nine-month injury? You’ll have to get a medical opinion on that but an Achilles tear is a big injury, so we hope that it won’t be that but I think the consensus at the moment is that it is.”

This is an added headache that McKenna could really do without, even if Ogbene hasn’t yet been a hugely important player for Ipswich since arriving from Luton Town in the summer transfer window.

He has featured in five Premier League games so far this season, starting just three of them, but Jamie Carragher waxed lyrical about the Republic of Ireland international last season, saying:

“For me, Chiedozie Ogbene has been absolutely outstanding every time I watch him. He has played on the left and the right and at the moment he is playing right wing back. He’s supporting the play, we know he’s an absolute flying machine. A lot of criticism of a flying winger is if you drop off, has he actually got the quality to thread a little pass or put a nice cross into the box? He has that.”

Squad depth is going to be so vital for Ipswich, in terms of their Premier League survival battle this season, so to suddenly have Ogbene out injured for many months would be an almighty blow.

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Hopefully, his layoff won’t be as lengthy as McKenna fears, but given how serious it looked at the time, Ipswich supporters will be understandably concerned about how long he will be unavailable.