Sam Morsy, the captain of Ipswich Town, may make a comeback to the squad for the FA Cup matchup with Maidstone United after missing the previous two matches due to suspension. (Photo credit: Ross Halls)When Ipswich Town plays non-league Maidstone United at Portman Road in tomorrow’s FA Cup fourth round, manager Kieran McKenna says he won’t tolerate any decline in performance from his players.
The Kent-based visitors are the bottom-ranked team remaining in the competition and are now fourth in National League South. They have already defeated Barrow and Stevenage.
Consequently, BBC One has decided to air the game live at 12.30 p.m.
McKenna declared: “We’ve given them the full respect that they deserve,” knowing that a spot in the final 16 was on the line. They’ve defeated clubs that are performing quite well in League Two and League One, and they’ve won six games thus far. It goes without saying that they’ll want to go one better.
As usual, we’ve observed every crucial game and done our best to analyze it.We will not tolerate any lowering of the bar. It’s all focused attention on the game. Let’s approach the game with vigor and fire, make every effort to attack, and play really well on defense.
“We are aware that we are the favorites going into the tie and that we will be targeted.
“It will be a great turnout—I believe the number of attendees will be around 27,000—especially for a televised cup tie. We anticipate a feisty cup tie, and we know Maidstone will be bringing a good crowd. We are aware of our roles in all of it.
When asked what kind of team he intended to play, the Blues manager said, “Of course we’ll make changes.” That is significant since the season has been hectic thus far, and February will be a busy month. Everyone must be informed.
“We’re a little bit down on numbers at the moment with the international tournaments that are on and some injuries, but we’ve still got 18/19 senior outfielders available and I trust every single one of them to perform.”
Elkan Baggott (Indonesia) and Cameron Burgess (Australia) are away at the Asian Cup, while Brandon Williams is still at parent club Manchester United undergoing “medical assessment.” Janoi Donacien (groin), Lee Evans (knee), and George Hirst (hamstring) are also out.
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