Leif Davis won’t play for Ipswich Town again this season after his straight red card against Arsenal, Keith Hackett has said.

The former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official exclusively told Football Insider that the left-back could be banned for longer than the standard three matches for his reckless, studs-up challenge on Bukayo Saka.

Davis’ dismissal in the 32nd minute rubbed salt in the wounds for an Ipswich side who were already two goals down at the time, with Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli putting Arsenal in complete control.

Both of the Gunners’ first-half goals originated down the left-hand side of Ipswich’s defence, and things got worse in the second half for the Tractor Boys as Trossard and Ethan Nwaneri rounded off the scoring.

The 4-0 drubbing leaves Ipswich teetering on the brink of relegation straight back to the Championship, 15 points from safety with five games left to play, and now without Kieran McKenna’s starting left-back.

Kieran McKenna’s side look certainties to be relegated (Credit: Hasan Karim, Breaking Media)

Ipswich lose Leif Davis early in Arsenal thrashing

Ipswich were under siege in the opening half-hour of their meeting with the Champions League semi-finalists, with Saka alone missing three first-half chances which would have put Arsenal out of sight.

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Davis’ form this season hasn’t come close to what he produced in the Championship

Referee Chris Kavanagh showed no hesitation in blowing for a free-kick and it didn’t take long for him to brandish a straight red card Davis’ way, leaving Ipswich down to 10 men, and heading for another defeat.

Hackett was hugely critical of Davis’ challenge given its reckless nature and potential impact on the rest of Ipswich’s season, and isn’t optimistic that he’ll be seen on the pitch at Portman Road again this term.

Davis was one of Ipswich’s star players on the run to promotion last season (Credit: Getty Images)

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After being asked by Football Insider if Davis’ ban could be extended beyond three matches with Ipswich looking destined for the drop, the former FIFA referee said:

“I suggest that the ban [for Davis] will be three games minimum. His season is over and [it’ll] probably be his last in the Premier League”, Hackett told Football Insider.

“It was clearly a challenge for nothing – he was no where near the ball.”

Unless other results go their way and McKenna can lead his side on an unprecedented winning run to close out the season, Ipswich will be relegated back to the Championship before Davis makes his return.

The 25-year-old’s performances this term have seen a huge drop-off in output from the form which saw him register 20 goal contributions in 2023/24, and that’s been compounded by his needless red card.

Davis’ displays last season resulted in links with a return to his boyhood club Newcastle, but it looks far likelier that Hackett’s verdict of this term being “his last” in the Premier League will come to pass instead.