Portsmouth v Ipswich Town: What’s been said by Kieran McKenna and Danny Cowley, team news, predicted XI, officials, form guide and key stats
Here are all the key details ahead of kick-off (7.45pm).
What's been said
Kieran McKenna
‘It's about recovering bodies as best we can now during a short space of time.
‘We have had quite a lot of sickness in the camp. We had two very unwell before the Oxford game and after the game we had seven report symptoms. We had three players unable to come to the training ground yesterday.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad‘We have a training session today and we'll see how the boys are.
'Of course we have players coming back from injuries as well, who we have to monitor very closely to see if they are going to be ready to go again.
‘It's going to have to be a case of wait and see on who's going to be fit and available.
'Portsmouth are on a not-so-good run of results, they've had a lot of draws, but I don't think that has any bearing to be honest.
'It's Portsmouth v Ipswich - a big game at this level.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad'Whenever we go away from home we look to start well, impose ourselves and take the crowd away from them.
'We know we've got another big away following backing us. Hopefully we can deliver a performance and result for them.'
Danny Cowley
Team news
Pompey
Danny Cowley will be hoping the illness impacting will ease in time to face Ipswich.
The likes of Dane Scarlett, Jay Mingi and Connor Ogilvie were laid low for the Boxing Day trip to Exeter.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdBut Zak Swanson gave Cowley a boost by returning to the bench at St James Park, where he was introduced as a late substitute.
That gives Cowley the flexibility to return to a back four, as his side aim to improve their poor league form.
Louis Thompson is now close to a return from the broken leg which has kept him out since August.
Tom Lowery (hamstring), Joe Rafferty (stomach) and Jayden Reid (knee) were the other players missing on Boxing Day.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdPredicted XI: Griffiths, Morrison, Raggett, Robertson; Dale, Mingi, Pack, Hume; Hackett, Bishop, Scarlett.
Ipswich
Like Pompey, Ipswich are dealing with illness ahead of their trip to Fratton Park.
A sickness bug has swept through Kieran McKenna’s squad in recent days, with the boss having to make a late selection call as a result.
McKenna has to also weigh up whether Marcus Harness and Lee Evans are ready for more minutes, after making their injury returns in the 3-0 Boxing Day win over Oxford.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdHarness has been out since injuring his knee in the Papa John’s Trophy defeat to Pompey in November.
Evans is two games into a return after also suffering a knee injury in October agaisnt Derby.
Predicted XI: Walton; Donacien, Woolfenden, Burgess; Burns, Evans, Morsy, Davis; Chaplin, Harness; Ladapo.
Matchday odds (Paddy Power)
Pompey: 11/4
1-0 9/1, 2-0 14/1, 2-1 11/1, 3-0 40/1, 3-1 25/1, 3-2 35/1.
Ipswich: Evens
1-0 6/1, 2-0 8/1, 2-1 7/1, 3-0 14/1, 3-1 14/1, 3-2 22/1
Draw: 23/10
0-0 8/1, 1-1 5/1, 2-2 12/1, 3-3 66/1.
Officials
Referee: Sam Allison
Assistant referees: Richard Morris and Adam Ricketts
Fourth official : Farai Hallam
Key stats (all competitions)
Ipswich
Record this season: P30 W D6 L6
League Position: 2nd
Top goalscorer: Conor Chaplin (11)
Most Assists: Leif Davis (six)
Discipline: 48 yellow cards, 0 red cards
Pompey
Record this season: P29 W13 D11 L5
League Position: 11th
Top goalscorer: Colby Bishop (13)
Most Assists: Owen Dale (4)
Discipline: 44 yellows cards, 1 red card
Form guide
Ipswich
W 3-0 Oxford (H) League One
L 1-0 Wycombe (A) League One
W 2-1 Peterborough (H) League One
D 1-1 Fleetwood (H) League One
W 4-0 Buxton (H) FA Cup
L 2-0 Pompey (H) Papa John’s Trophy
Pompey
D 0–0 Exeter (A) League One
L 2-0 MK Dons (H) – League One
W 3-0 Stevenage (H) – EFL Trophy
L 2-0 Wycombe (A) – League One
W 3-2 MK Dons (H) – FA Cup
Other fixtures (7.45pm kick-off unless stated)
Barnsley v Fleetwood, Bristol Rovers v Exeter, Forest Green v Burton, Morecambe v Accrington, Oxford v Charlton, Peterborough v MK Dons, Plymouth v Wycombe, Sheffield Wednesday v Port Vale, Shrewsbury v Cheltenham.