Sports Mole previews Friday’s Championship clash between Ipswich Town and Sheffield United, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Both aiming to bounce back from disappointing starts to the Championship season on their return from the first international break, Ipswich Town and Sheffield United will do battle at Portman Road on Friday.
Following their Premier League relegation last time around, the hosts currently sit 20th having failed to win any of their first four games, while the visitors are still in search of their first points under the new management of Ruben Selles.
Match preview
Ipswich Town return to action on Saturday in search of a first victory of the Championship season at the fifth attempt, having failed to hit the ground running after their relegation from the Premier League last time around.
The Tractor Boys dropped out of England’s top flight in 19th spot, and their bid to make an immediate return has started slowly, earning just three points from their first four attempts, firstly playing out 1-1 draws with fellow promotion-hopefuls Birmingham City and Southampton.
Those results came either side of an EFL Cup draw and eventual penalty shootout defeat to fourth-tier Bromley, before Kieran McKenna‘s side visited Preston North End in England’s second tier and suffered a disappointing 1-0 defeat as Milutin Osmajic netted the only goal in the 11th minute.
Derby County then visited Portman Road before the September international break, and the Suffolk outfit were unable to put a first notch in their wins column, instead snatching a 2-2 draw thanks to Jack Clarke‘s last-gasp penalty, having fallen behind to Carlton Morris and Rhian Brewster‘s goals after Jacob Greaves‘s first-half opener.
Now heading back into their fifth fixture of the Championship campaign and sitting 20th at this early stage, Ipswich Town will be desperate to get a charge up the table kickstarted with a home victory on Friday.
Their visitors, meanwhile, make the trip to Suffolk still in search of their first points of the season, having only fallen short of an immediate return to the Premier League in the playoff final last year.
Despite that close call and 90-point haul, the Sheffield United hierarchy opted to switch manager Chris Wilder for Ruben Selles over the summer, and the Spaniard is yet to get up and running, as they have lost each of their four league outings alongside an EFL Cup defeat to Birmingham City.
Their only goal in those four Championship outings came in a 4-1 beating to Bristol City on the opening day, and the South Yorkshire side went on to lose by single goals away at Swansea City and Millwall before visiting early leaders Middlesbrough before the break.
Selles’s men would again come away empty-handed from that contest, as Tommy Conway broke the deadlock and condemned the Blades to a third straight 1-0 league defeat with a 64th-minute goal.
Now heading back into action after the break and an eventful deadline day, and with pressure bound to be quickly building on Selles, Sheffield United will hope to open their account for the season and climb off the foot of the Championship table on Friday with an away win at Portman Road.
Ipswich Town Championship form:
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Sheffield United Championship form:
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Team News
Ipswich Town are set to remain without Harry Clarke, Conor Townsend, Wes Burns and Cameron Humphreys on their return to action on Friday due to ongoing injury issues, while attacker Sammie Szmodics is a fresh concern after missing Republic of Ireland’s second game of the international break.
Ivan Azon, Chuba Akpom, Sindre Walle Egeli, Marcelino Nunez and Darnell Furlong will all compete to earn their first starts for the Tractor Boys after their summer arrivals at Portman Road.
Jack Clarke will also bid to come back in from the outset after his late equaliser in their last outing, with Kasey McAteer, Jaden Philogene and George Hirst all hoping to keep their spots, while Nunez will battle to displace Azor Matusiwa or Jens Cajuste in the engine room.
Sheffield United are still without midfielders Oliver Arblaster, Tom Davies and Jamie Shackleton due to long-term injuries, while deadline day loan arrival Chiedozie Ogbene will not be able to feature against his parent club.
Ruben Selles may opt to make changes to the starting XI from their Middlesbrough defeat, with defenders Ben Mee and Mark McGuinness and midfielder Alex Matos having since arrived, while Tahith Chong and Danny Ings will hope to earn first Blades starts.
Ings will compete with Tyrese Campbell to lead the attack, while Japhet Tanganga will again be a key man at the back after shining on debut last time out following his arrival from Millwall.
Ipswich Town possible starting lineup:
Palmer; Young, O’Shea, Greaves, Davis; Cajuste, Matusiwa; Philogene, Akpom, Clarke; Hirst
Sheffield United possible starting lineup:
Cooper; Godfrey, Tanganga, McGuinness, Burrows; Chong, Peck, Hamer; Cannon, Campbell, Barry
We say: Ipswich Town 2-0 Sheffield United
While Ipswich Town have had a slow start of their own to the Championship season, this strong Tractor Boys squad has a great chance to get up and running at home to a Sheffield United side who are yet to click under their new boss.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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