Ipswich Town suffer 'significant' injury as Leeds United to be rivalled in January transfer window

Leeds United’s promotion rivals Ipswich will likely be forced into the January transfer market as they seek to replace six goal, six assist attacker Hirst who was brought off just 16 minutes into the Tractor Boys’ 1-1 draw with Leicester.

“It's still being assessed, but it's a significant injury to his hamstring,” McKenna told reporters ahead of his side’s meeting with QPR on Friday night.

“He's had some scans and he'll be seeing a specialist to get further clarification on what timescales we're looking at.

"It's not a very short-term injury. I think we can say that clearly. We should be able to put a clearer timescale on it next week."

It's a big blow," the Northern Irishman admitted. "He's been very, very important to how we play and he's developed a lot over the last 12 months.

Hurst’s hamstring problem is not the only issue befalling McKenna’s side either, with the busy festive fixture list beginning to take a toll on the Ipswich squad. 

“We have a couple of others getting scans today, to be honest," McKenna said. "We'll have to make some late assessments tomorrow [Friday].

"Respectfully we don't want to give away too much team news to anyone, but hopefully it's nothing major."

In mitigating Hirst’s absence, the Ipswich boss plainly stated the club’s intent to supplement his striking options next month: “Of course we're also pretty close to a transfer window where we'll try and add to the squad.

“There are a few positions that we'd like to add in and the forwards areas is one of them. Every team in the second half of the season wants to add goals and goalscorers in the different guises that they come in.”

Ipswich’s remaining strikers are few after Tottenham Hotspur loanee Dane Scarlett was recalled by the Premier League club. Kayden Jackson, meanwhile, replaced Hirst in the score-draw with Leicester.