Three changes from McKenna? Predicted Ipswich XI against Palace
Three changes from McKenna? Predicted Ipswich XI against Palace
Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna is likely to make at least a couple of alterations for Tuesday's Premier League showdown with Crystal Palace at Portman Road.
The Tractor Boys lost their three-game unbeaten streak in a 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, where Axel Tuanzebe had to come off in the dying embers with a suspected hamstring problem.
Tuanzebe's condition will be monitored over the next 48 hours, but the tight turnaround makes it extremely unlikely that he will be fit for Tuesday's game, which Janoi Donacien (ankle), George Hirst (knee) and Chiedozie Ogbene (Achilles) are also set to miss.
Jacob Greaves. Kalvin Phillips and Ben Johnson - the latter two of whom are nursing knocks - are also facing races against time to prove their fitness, although Johnson could be a straight swap for Tuanzebe if he is given the thumbs-up.
However, Harry Clarke is another like-for-like replacement and stepped in for Tuanzebe at the end of Saturday's game, so the 23-year-old should get the nod from McKenna to line up against the Eagles.
Clarke for Tuanzebe may be the only change to an otherwise unaltered backline of Cameron Burgess, Leif Davis, Arijanet Muric and Dara O'Shea, but Greaves will no doubt push to displace Burgess if he can make his own comeback from injury.
While Phillips gets back up to speed, Jens Cajuste and Sam Morsy should reprise their midfield partnership, while Omari Hutchinson and Liam Delap's places in attack are not under any real threat either.
McKenna may be tempted to introduce some fresh legs out wide, though, as Wes Burns and Jack Clarke are waiting in the wings and could bump Sammie Szmodics and Conor Chaplin down to the bench.
Ipswich Town possible starting lineup:
Muric; H. Clarke, O'Shea, Burgess, Davis; Morsy, Cajuste; Burns, Hutchinson, J. Clarke; Delap
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