Relegation-battling Ipswich host title-chasing Chelsea at Portman Road.
Victory will lift Ipswich above Leicester to third-bottom, whilst Chelsea can climb to second with a win.
Team News
Sam Morsy is available for Ipswich following his one-match ban in their 1-0 loss at Arsenal.
Massimo Luongo (illness) could return.
Axel Tuanzebe (hamstring), George Hirst (knee) and Chiedozie Ogbene (Achilles) remain ruled out.
Chelsea could be without Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall due to a knock.
Romeo Lavia (thigh) and Carney Chukwuemeka (illness) are doubts for selection.
Mykhailo Mudryk (suspension), Benoit Badiashile (unspecified), Wesley Fofana, Reece James and Omari Kellyman (all hamstring) are still ruled out.
When is Kick-Off?
Ipswich host Chelsea at Portman Road on Monday 29 December at 7:45pm GMT, untelevised live in the UK.
Stat Attack
- Ipswich are winless in their last seven league meetings against Chelsea (D4, L3).
- Chelsea are yet to win at Portman Road in the Premier League (D4, L1).
- Just one of Ipswich’s five previous home games against Chelsea in the Premier League finished goalless.
- Ipswich have lost just one of their last eight league games at home to London-based opposition (W3, D4, L1), since a 2-0 loss to Charlton in November 2020.
- Chelsea have lost just one of eight league games this season in which Cole Palmer scored (W7, L1).
Prediction
With many fans expecting an one-sided result at Arsenal, Ipswich deserve credit for how they dug in and took the fight to the Gunners but this will be another difficult test of their unity.
Chelsea were just wasteful in their loss to Fulham in which they took a deserved lead, but a mixture of no end product luck and a late defensive switch-off cost them although I do expect a strong reaction here.
In fact if Chelsea lose this then it will be purely down to their Premier League away hoodoo at Portman Road, as I can’t see Ipswich getting anything except a draw if lucky.
Prediction: Ipswich 0-2 Chelsea
Result: Ipswich 2-0 Chelsea
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