Kieran McKenna hopes Macauley Bonne’s lively display at Oxford on Saturday is a sign of the striker beginning to get back to his best.

The QPR loanee came off the bench in the second half at the Kassam Stadium and added an increased intensity to the Ipswich side, in a game the Blues ultimately drew 1-1.

Bonne’s red-hot start to the season has fallen away, with his run of 11 goals in his first 16 matches in blue replaced by a streak of just one in his last 23 games.

He looks a likely starter when Plymouth come to Portman Road on Saturday, with McKenna impressed with what he’s seen in terms of the forward’s attitude towards his tough spell.

“I thought that was head and shoulders his best 45 minutes in my time here,” McKenna said of Bonne’s display at Oxford.

“I felt like that was hopefully Macauley getting back to his best self.

“I have to say he’s been positive around the place. We’ve had a couple of good chats this week and he’s feeling better in himself.

“I thought that was his best 45 minutes and hopefully that’s a sign of things to come.”

Bonne replaced Pigott at Oxford, with the former Wimbledon man struggling for confidence, having not scored in the league since August.

“Strikers are confidence players and he’s probably not at his most confident,” McKenna said.

“He had a couple of little opportunities that didn’t go his way, but that’s football and it’s up to him to keep working hard in training.”

Pigott will also be hopeful of starting at the weekend, with James Norwood also in the frame.