IPSWICH Town were hit by a massive injury blow when star striker Connor Wickham injured his ankle in training yesterday.

The 17-year-old is expected to be out for up to six weeks, and will be badly missed when the Blues seek to get off to a successful start to 2010/112 campaign.

Wickham left the Playford Road training ground with a cast on his damaged ankle, and is not expected to be available for action again until the middle of September.

With six goals in his limited number of Ipswich games last term, Wickham showed what he is capable of.

He followed this up by helping England win the European Under-17 Championship in May and was looking ahead to a season of regular first team football at Portman Road.

A number of Premier League clubs, including Tottenham, Arsenal and Sunderland – with Black Cats manager Steve Bruce calling the youngster the best player of his age in the country – have shown interest in the Colchester-based burly front man.

Wickham has been pencilled in to lead the Town attack this season with his manager Roy Keane still to decide who will be the teenager’s front-running partner.

It is not the start to the season that Keane was hoping for with key central defender Damien Delaney expected to be out for a number of weeks after suffering a blood clot following a whack on the leg two weeks ago.

Alex Bruce has agreed terms with Sheffield United and it is now a matter of the clubs finalising the details before the central defender leaves Town after four years at Portman Road.

Bruce trained at Playford Road yesterday along with Jon Stead, who is the subject of a bid from Bristol City and interest from another Championship club.

Mark Kennedy was in Ipswich yesterday and his �75,000 move from Cardiff City to fill what has been a troublesome left-back position for Keane’s side appears to be ready to finalise.