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Delap joined Town from Manchester City in the summer, and has scored 12 Premier League goals – with speculation growing the 22-year-old will leave Portman Road in the summer. There is, however, said to be a release clause of £30m in Delap's contract, which is extremely likely to be triggered this summer, with Newcastle one of several clubs tracking the youngster. Manchester United are also keen and Chelsea have been linked.
While McKenna feels there remains “certainly a possibility” Delap will still be at the club next season, he is in no doubt of the forward’s potential. “Can Liam play for the biggest clubs in the country, the biggest clubs in the world? He certainly can, I fully believe that,” the Ipswich boss said. “He’s already shown the impact he can have at Premier League level in a team that has been fighting for everything, and I think he can have an outstanding impact at this level.
” RECOMMENDED READING: It's not clear whether Delap will play for Ipswich against Newcastle on Saturday afternoon. The striker has been managing a rib injury, so was only used as a late substitute in the past two matches and will again be a late call. McKenna admits his depleted side are “in a challenging spot” as they prepare for their trip to St James' Park, where relegation from the Premier League could be confirmed.
Town have only a slim – and highly improbable – mathematical chance of staying up, already 15 points adrift of West Ham with just five matches left to play and a far inferior goal difference. Defeat at St James’ Park on Saturday would send Ipswich back to the Sky Bet Championship – as would West Ham picking up a draw at Brighton to guarantee their own safety. McKenna has been grappling with a growing injury list, which includes the likes of midfielder Kalvin Phillips, Nathan Broadhead, Sammie Szmodics and now defender Conor Townsend, who is out with a hamstring problem.
Leif Davis is also unavailable for the next three matches after the left-back was shown a straight red card for his late tackle on Bukayo Saka during last weekend’s 4-0 home defeat by Arsenal. Whatever side he is able to send out against Newcastle, McKenna knows they will face another difficult test. “We are in a challenging spot in terms of availability,” said McKenna.
“I am not going to go through every single one because I will probably be naming the fit players that we have left to Newcastle, but we are in a really difficult spot in terms of availability. “We are working really hard to get a team and a squad together that can go there and be as competitive as we can be. “Where the squad is at the moment, there will be young players involved from the academy at the weekend and possibly in the next few weeks, and that is good experience for them.
” Despite their predicament, McKenna feels everyone remains “focused on the task at hand”. The Town boss said: “You just have to look at the scale of the games – Chelsea away, Arsenal home and now a trip to Newcastle. “It is not hard to get the group focused and it is a small group at the moment, so they will all be needed.
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