Ipswich Town

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Ipswich Town midfielders Azor Matusiwa and Jack Taylor have both undergone surgery since the team clinched promotion back to the Premier League.

"Azor has undergone an operation on a muscle injury, while Jack has had a knee cartilage procedure, with both surgeries a success," said a club statement., external

"Both players will now recuperate over the summer."

Matusiwa, 28, who arrived from French club Rennes last summer, made 46 appearances as Ipswich finished second behind Coventry City, with Republic of Ireland international Taylor, 27, playing 42 games.

Ipswich will find out their fixtures for the 2026-27 Premier League campaign on 19 June.

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Former England international Ashley Young has heaped praise on Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna and expects the club to fare better in the Premier League next season than they did in 2024-25.

Young has now retired from football but was part of the Tractor Boys squad that finished second in the Championship and won immediate promotion back to the top flight following relegation last season.

"You see the way that he [McKenna] wants to play football, I think the fans here have to bite their tongue a little bit, they're worried at times," Young told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"But he's a fantastic manager. I hope he goes on to have a fantastic career and next season is better than the season when they got relegated. I've got every confidence in him that he's going to go on and do that."

Ipswich have won three promotions in four seasons under McKenna - from League One in 2023 and the Championship in 2024 and 2026.

"It is incredible to be honest," said Young, who previously played for Aston Villa, Manchester United, Inter Milan and Everton.

"I knew what he was like, I knew what man he was. It's not just him as the manager, him on the pitch, it's him off the pitch.

"It's the reason why I signed here. I knew him from Manchester United, I knew his work ethic and we've got a similar work ethic.

"He probably stays up longer than me in the night. He probably gets in earlier than me, but he's been fantastic for me."

Young, who made 13 league appearances for Town this season, won a Premier League and Serie A title, an FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League across a 23-year career.

The 40-year-old capped it off with promotion to the top flight with Ipswich and added: "It's a fitting way to end a career."

"You need Premier League experience or, we've seen with Sunderland, Premier League-level physicality, athleticism, that you have to have to survive up there.

"Ultimately as a coach, you're only as good as that squad of players that you've got. They weren't good enough in the Premier League last year, as it stands they won't be good enough next year."

The 72+ team assess what it will take for Ipswich Town to stay in the Premier League next season and hear from boss Kieran McKenna.

Listen to the latest episode on BBC Sounds

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Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna has praised how his side's new-found character came together during their run to the promotion.

A Premier League return was sealed by their convincing victory over QPR to grab second place behind champions Coventry City.

Despite being pre-season favourites to go up, the Tractor Boys' rebuilt squad took time to gel.

But for McKenna, they found the necessary togetherness at the right time as one defeat in the last 15 games testifies.

"That's been questioned all the way with the group," he told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"In some ways, I understand it and in others, for me it's been a little bit over the top because the reality is it's a new group of players coming to the club for the first time.

"We've had to grow that, you don't just become a team with a lot of character and resilience when you walk in the door and the group doesn't come together until the end of August.

"That's grown over the course of the season and that's really been evidenced over this last run. To finish with one loss in 15 games really shows the character of the group really came together by the end."

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We asked for your thoughts and predictions before the final day Championship showdown in the race for automatic promotion to the Premier League between Ipswich Town, Millwall and Middlesbrough.

Victory for the Tractor Boys guarantees them promotion, while a draw will only be enough if the Lions fail to win and Boro do not overhaul a five-goal difference.

Should Ipswich lose, they would then need both Millwall and Middlesbrough to fail to win.

Here are a selection of your responses:

Brian: If Ipswich can replicate the performance they produced against Southampton then I'm certain they'll beat QPR and gain promotion.

Ruth: Ipswich have to win Saturday! We will bottle it if we go to play-offs. I think we can do it, the team just need to believe in ourselves more!

James: I just have this uneasy feeling the Ipswich will lose against QPR whilst Boro and Millwall both win, thus putting Town in the play-offs where they will fall short. Hope to be proved wrong but Ipswich have a unique way of putting us through it!

Ian: If we play against QPR with the determination we showed v Saints we will be too strong for them. But if we fail, we will not have the resistance to win the play-offs. Millwall will beat relegated Oxford and I fancy Wrexham to beat Boro. Regardless, Saints look strong, they are the form team and will win the play-offs as they did two years ago.

Paul: To be honest, the Premier League is not the promised land, the Championship is more like a land flowing with milk and honey! I'm chilled. If we don't get promoted, Ipswich can have another year of winning and pumping in the goals rather than the misery of picking up just eight or nine wins.

Daniel: Surely we've got it in the bag. QPR are possibly the most 'on the beach' a team can be, I cannot see us not winning. Millwall and Boro have been outstanding this season, probably performed better than us, but unfortunately it seems like we've just edged it.

Liam: I am 100% confident that we will finally get the job done against QPR at the weekend and get back into the Premier League.

Yestin: Very committed performance on Tuesday night, however we saw the same away against Norwich and we know what happened immediately after. Can McKenna raise the team to beat QPR who will be no walkover? This game is the £190 million game if you think about parachute payments where needed.

I still fail to understand why no striker of quality was signed on day one of relegation from the Premier League. Yes [Ivon] Azon looked good on Tuesday night but what about the rest of the season?

Stephen: Suffolk lad, Ipswich fan since the glorious Bobby Robson days. Honestly, we haven't shown the consistency needed for the Premier League and we would enjoy next year more in the Championship. Not a popular view among the fans I'm sure.

Rhys: Ipswich should get the job done, McKenna's got to after having multiple chances to win it before the final day.

Andy: Jack Clarke brings it home with an Aguero type moment in the last minutes! On second thoughts, let's just have a comfortable 3-0 win shall we?