LOANEE keeper Alex McCarthy has played his last game for Ipswich Town after being recalled by parent club Reading.

Blues chief executive Simon Clegg today confirmed that the keeper, who has made 10 appearances for Town, will be leaving and joining up with the Royals tomorrow ahead of their weekend visit to West Ham.

McCarthy was due to leave Portman Road anyway on April 11 but he will now miss the three final games of his 93-day loan deal with Royals stopper Mikkel Andersen awaiting assessment on a knee problem.

The Town keeper had just started to show Town fans the form that had won him England Under-21 caps after a shaky start in Suffolk – topped by a sending off in the 3-1 defeat at Leeds in only his third game at the club.

Arran Lee-Barrett is now set to start against Barnsley on Saturday although Richard Wright will also be in contention.