Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna has explained why new signing Nathan Broadhead was not in the squad for today's 1-1 home draw with league-leaders Plymouth Argyle.

On Thursday, the Blues said that Broadhead - a £1.5m addition from Everton - and fellow new boy George Hirst would both 'be involved' in this afternoon's big League One clash.

Broadhead, who made 11 starts and 11 sub appearances for Wigan during the first half of the campaign, wasn't in the matchday squad though, with Hirst making a second half cameo.

"He's got some tightness in his leg muscles," explained McKenna, when asked about Broadhead's absence.

"He's a really important investment for us. Of course we want an immediate impact from him and George and the other players that we've brought in. 

"But he's a short, medium and long-term investment for the club. We need to make sure that we protect him in the right way. 

"He's had a really big week. He's travelled from North Wales a couple of times and is in a new bed. So it's not uncommon to have some tightness. 

"We have to make sure we manage him in the right way so we can build his robustness and get him on the pitch feeling really, really good.

"Because we know if we can do that then we've got a really good player on our hands. 

"We can't look at it in a too short-sighted manner."