Omari Hutchinson starts his first pre-season match for Ipswich Town as they face Hoffenheim in a friendly at the Kufstein Arena this afternoon.
Hutchinson, the young winger, features in a strong Ipswich team that sees new signing Conor Townsend on the bench. The match kicks off at 1.30pm CET (12.30pm BST) amidst wet conditions.
Hutchinson leads the line in a three-pronged attack alongside Liam Delap and Conor Chaplin, with Marcus Harness completing the front three. The midfield pairing of Sam Morsy and Jack Taylor are joined by a defensive line featuring Jacob Greaves, Luke Woolfenden, Leif Davis, and Ben Johnson. Aro Muric anchors the team in goal.
The absence of George Hirst is noteworthy, with the forward missing out on the friendly due to an injury. Wes Burns, who sustained an ankle injury against Fortuna Düsseldorf, also features among the substitutes.
Youngsters Ryan Carr, Leon Ayinde, and Osman Foyo are further additions to the bench, providing further depth to the Ipswich squad.
The full Ipswich starting XI is: Muric, Johnson, Woolfenden, Greaves, Davis, Morsy (c), Taylor, Harness, Chaplin, Hutchinson, Delap.
The substitutes for the Tractor Boys are: Walton, Tuanzebe, Edmundson, Burgess, Townsend, Luongo, Carr, Burns, Foyo, Ayinde, Ladapo.
Hoffenheimâs lineup includes: Baumann (c), Kaderabek, Drexler, Prömel, Bischof, Bebou, Tach, Bülter, Akpoguma, Kramaric, Moerstedt. Their substitutes are: Phillip, Grillitsch, Beier, Samassekou, Bruun Larsen, Damar, Szalai, Micheler, Behrens, Strobl, Kalambayi.
The match provides a valuable opportunity for both sides to assess their pre-season preparations ahead of the upcoming season.
Fans have taken to social media to comment on the team selection and injury news.
Monkey_Blue raised concerns about the availability of centre-backs, stating that the bench seems to have an abundance of them. They also highlighted the departures of multiple players from the first-team squad since the end of last season, as well as injuries to Al Hamadi, Clarke, Hirst, and Broadhead.
Andy32Cracknell expressed disappointment at the news of Hirst's injury, speculating that he may be out for six weeks.
Cressi noted that the Greek striker, whose name is not disclosed in the article, was not in Hoffenheim's squad for their Europa qualifying match.
Muhrensleftfoot pointed out the potential lack of a senior centre-forward with Hirst's absence, while Kiffer1 added Humphreys and Baggot to the list of injured players.
The comments highlight the concern amongst fans regarding the depth of the Ipswich squad as they prepare for the new season.