Ward injury blow hurts Ipswich

Ipswich midfielder Grant Ward has been ruled out for the rest of the season after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament, the Sky Bet Championship club have announced.

The 24-year-old is set to be sidelined for nine months after suffering the serious knee injury midway through the second half of Ipswich's Boxing Day defeat at QPR.

Town physio Matt Byard told the club's official website: "Grant will see a specialist tomorrow and we will be guided from there.

"It's a complete rupture of the cruciate in his left knee (ACL). We now know that and with that type of injury you are looking around a nine-month recovery period."