Town announce three key men back in training... but no mention of Vincent-Young

There was no mention of Kane Vincent-Young when Ipswich Town announced which of their army of injured players have returned to training this week.

Speaking last Friday, Blues assistant boss Stuart Taylor announced that 'we’re getting back to near-enough a full squad now'. Flynn Downes and James Norwood made their returns from injury in the subsequent 3-2 home loss to Swindon, while it had been said that the quintet of Vincent-Young, Teddy Bishop, Gwion Edwards, Jon Nolan and Keanan Bennetts would return to training on Monday.

Town have revealed, on the club website, that Edwards, Bishop and Nolan have indeed stepped up their rehabilitations this week ahead of Saturday's trip to League One's rock-bottom side Burton Albion. There was no mention of either Vincent-Young or Bennetts though.

Vincent-Young last featured competitively in a 3-1 win at Southend way back on October 26, 2019. First he had a hernia repair, then further surgery on an adductor tendon. The prognosis then was that he would be back in training after 10-12 weeks. 

He returned to action in pre-season, appearing against Colchester and Tottenham, but was soon back in the treatment room with a ‘nagging Achilles problem’. 

The 24-year-old finally returned to first team training on December 7. Manager Paul Lambert said the dynamic right-back was ‘looking incredible’ at the end of that week, but it’s understood he suffered another set-back, by way of a thigh strain, around that time.

Bennetts was just starting to find his feet following a season-long switch from German side Borussia Monchengladbach. He was looking really lively in the opening stages of the 2-1 win against Burton (Dec 15), scoring in the fourth minute, but then was forced off at half-time with a groin injury. 

It's understood that the tricky winger is still a way off returning to training.

Meanwhile, Town say that wide forward Freddie Sears is 'back in contention for match action' having been out since suffering a hamstring injury against Hull (Nov 24). Taylor said last week that 'Freddie is definitely back and was back earlier than Flynn and Nors, so he was probably in contention for the Fleetwood game had it been played (on Jan 5). He’s come in and looked like he’s never been out which has been a real positive'.

Sears, who has been linked with a January move to Colchester United, was then subsequently left out of the matchday squad last weekend.

The returns of Edwards, Bishop and Nolan are certainly a big boost.

In-form winger Edwards scored five goals and provided three assists during the opening 11 league games, but has missed the last eight with a hamstring injury sustained in training (Nov 17). 

Twinkle-toed midfielder Bishop looked to be finally putting his long-term injury woes behind him when starting all bar one of the opening 12 league games of the season, only to have his ankle trodden on during the 2-1 home win against Shrewsbury (Nov 21). 

Midfielder Nolan, who was also one of Town's best performers in the opening month of the campaign, hasn't featured since suffering the recurrence of a calf problem in the 2-0 home loss to Portsmouth (Dec 12).

Cole Skuse and James Wilson both remain out with knee injuries.