Christian Walton’s latest injury update has revealed that he’s had a rough return date, but his replacement has been really impressive.
Despite Christian Walton being out of action since the start of the season, Ipswich Town have still managed to beat their opponents just once in their opening seven games. With Hladky taking the place of Walton, they’ve managed to keep two clean sheets in that time, with Hladky making more than 3 saves per 90 minutes. With a tough run of games coming up after international break, it looks like Hladky is going to be the team’s keeper for the time being. Check out the footballleagueworld videos of the day!
Since signing Kieran McKenna at the start of the year, Ipswich Town have really hit the ground running. They’ve won promotion back to the top flight and are doing really well right now. With just one loss in seven in all competitions, they went into the international break with plenty of confidence. But then Leeds United came out on top with a 4-3 win. They’ve since won 4-0 against Sunderland, 3-0 against Stoke City, 2-0 against QPR and 3-0 against Cardiff City, and they’re now sitting in the automatic promotion spots.
What’s the latest news on Christian Wilson’s injury? Walton was expected to be a key player for McKenna after his impressive season last year, when he won the League 1 Golden Glove and played every league game. He only missed 8 minutes of the campaign, though, after being replaced in the last minute of Ipswich’s famous 6-0 win over Exeter City. But then, in pre-season, the keeper picked up a foot injury that will keep him out for a while. Speaking to Suffolk News in late August, the Blues boss said that Walton is making good progress, having taken off the boot and started working out in the gym, and his recovery is going according to plan.
While there’s no timeline on Walton’s return, it’s likely to be towards the end of the season. The former Brighton keeper has been named in Town’s EFL-approved 25-man squad, but it won’t be possible to reshuffle it until after the winter transfer window. Vaclav Hladky’s been a great replacement for Walton during his absence, despite some early doubts about his ability. The 32-year old came through the ranks in the Czech Republic and made his debut for St Mirren. After 18 months with Salford City, he moved to Suffolk in 2021 and has since played 29 times for the Tractor Boys. He didn’t start a single game last season, but he kept his place as the number two, and this time he’s been given the opportunity to step up. He’s kept Town in games with over three saves per 90, and he’s also kept two clean sheets.
Hladky has been performing really well, but it’s expected that Walton will get back in the starting line-up when he’s feeling better. But for now, Hladky will stay. He’ll need to keep it up after the break, though, as there’s a lot of tough games coming up. The Tractor Boys have two away games in a week – they’ll face Sheffield and Southampton – before a home game against Blackburn, and then they’ll have to go back to the drawing board when it comes to facing Wolverhampton in the cup.
