Ipswich Town meet struggling Sheffield United as the Championship returns from September’s international break.
Victory could see Ipswich climb as high as 11th if win by two goals or more, whilst Sheffield Utd can move out of the relegation zone with a win ahead of the weekend’s games.
Team News
Sammie Szmodics is a doubt for Ipswich after he suffered an unspecified injury during his international duty for Ireland, which forced him to skip their away defeat in Armenia.
Harry Clarke (knee), Wes Burns, Conor Townsend (ACL) and Cameron Humphreys (unspecified) are still sidelined.
Marcelino Nunez and Sindre Walee Egeli could make their club debuts.
Sheffield Utd will be without deadline day loan signing, Chiedozie Ogbene who is ineligible to face his parent club.
Oliver Arblaster (knee), Tom Davies (fitness) and Jamie Shackleton (unspecified) remain absent.
Alex Matos, Mark McGuiness and Ben Mee could make their club debuts following their arrivals on deadline day.
When is Kick-Off?
Ipswich host Sheffield Utd at Portman Road on Friday 12 September at 8pm BST, live on Sky Sports Main Event in the UK.
Stat Attack
- Ipswich have lost two of their last six league meetings against Sheffield Utd (W2, D2, L2).
- Sheffield Utd have lost just one of their last seven league visits to Ipswich (W1, D5, L1).
- Ipswich have kept clean sheets in two of their last three league games at home to Sheffield Utd (W1, D2).
- Ipswich have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 23 league matches since a 2-0 Premier League victory at home to Chelsea in December 2024 (W1, D7, L15).
- Sheffield Utd are seeking to avoid a fifth consecutive league defeat since April – May 2024.
Prediction
Although Ipswich certainly have goals within them, their lack of consistent defensive discipline have cost them wins so I am hopeful that their defending has been a crucial topic within training for those not on international duty.
Sheffield Utd meanwhile have been undone by small defensive errors in their last three matches so it is a case of cutting out those sloppy moments of defending, whilst being more clinical up front because they had no shots on target at Middlesbrough which is a worry for a side which lost the play-off final in May.
Coming off an international break, it feels tough to know what to expect in terms of performance especially when add in deadline day signings but I can see a draw such is the defensive fragilities within both teams.
Prediction: Ipswich 1-1 Sheffield Utd
Result: Ipswich 5-0 Sheffield Utd
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