Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna has explained his thinking behind leaving Luke Woolfenden out of the matchday squad for Tuesday night's 4-0 home win against Morecambe.

Woolfenden had started 24 of the previous 27 league games for Town, but, along with fellow centre-half Cameron Burgess, dropped out of the 18 completely as Richard Keogh and George Edmundson came into the defence.

"He’s fine," said McKenna, when asked about Woolfenden's absence.

"We just want to be really positive with our subs' bench in the second half of the season to be honest. 

"That’s something that we’ve discussed with the defenders. We want to have as many attacking options as possible. 

"We were able to use that tonight with the front four all changing and Cam Humphreys behind that. 

"That’s how the dynamic is going to be with the bench at times."

As it stands, McKenna has 25 fit senior first team players to select from, meaning seven have to be left out on a matchday.

Along with Woolfenden and Burgess, Kane Vincent-Young, Greg Leigh, Massimo Luongo, Sone Aluko and Gassan Ahadme all missed the cut on Tuesday night.

Tyreece John-Jules is scheduled to return from injury towards the end of February.

TOWN'S RECENT BENCHES 

Plymouth: Hladky, Keogh, Vincent-Young*, Edwards*, Humphreys*, Jackson, Hirst*. 

Oxford: Hladky, Clarke*, Luongo, Aluko*, Broadhead*, Jackson*, Ladapo*. 

Morecambe: Hladky, Donacien, Humphreys*, Harness*, Edwards*, Jackson*, Hirst*. 

* Came on.

AVAILABLE TOWN SQUAD

Walton, Hladky; Clarke, Donacien, Vincent-Young; Woolfenden, Edmundson, Burgess, Keogh; Davis, Leigh; Morsy, Evans, Humphreys, Luongo; Burns, Jackson, Edwards, Chaplin, Aluko, Broadhead, Harness; Ladapo, Hirst, Ahadme.