Ipswich Town have suffered a hammer blow to their faint survival hopes with the news of Will Keane’s injury.

RTE Ireland is reporting former Town boss, and current Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy has suggested the prognosis to the forward’s hamstring problem.

Keane has scored three goals in his last six matches since his move to Portman Road from Hull City for the rest of the season on loan.

Ipswich updated fans on the 26-year-old’s condition a few days ago, but it seems the club’s former boss has the low-down on the length of time he will be out.

McCarthy has been keeping tabs on the forward who is set to switch allegiance to the Republic of Ireland.

And the ROI boss was discussing Keane amongst other things earlier in the week when the likelihood of a Keane call-up emerged and he divulged the period of absence.

"That was a straightforward one,” he told RTE.

“I rang him up, [he said] ‘Yeah, I’d love to’, he’s started the process [of transferring], and he is in that process now, and he’s sadly out injured.

“He got injured on Saturday and out for six weeks.

The verdict

This is not good news for Ipswich, and it doesn’t look good on them either a former manager updating fans on the length of absence Keane faces.

Town seem doomed, and this latest injury – for apparently six weeks – is a hammer blow to their survival hopes.

Things were looking up for Keane before the injury with a goal every other game and a potential Ireland call-up.

Now he looks set to be on the sidelines with his loan club in desperate needs for points to try and avoid the inevitable.