Relegation-battling Portsmouth host promotion-chasing Ipswich in a rearranged Sky Bet Championship clash.
Victory would move Portsmouth up to 20th and four points clear of the relegation zone, whilst second-placed Ipswich can move five points clear of third-placed Millwall with a win.
Team News
Ebou Adams is unlikely to be risked in this match for Portsmouth after he missed their last four matches due to a knee injury, including their 1-0 win at Middlesbrough.
Conor Chaplin is ineligible to feature against his parent club, but will return for Portsmouth’s relegation six-pointer showdown against Leicester on Saturday 18 April.
Connor Ogilvie (suspension), Aji Alese (quad), Mark Kosznovszky (ACL/MCL), Franco Umeh (hamstring), Makenzie Kirk (Achilles), Josh Murphy (metatarsal), Zak Swanson and Florian Bianchini (both knee) remain absent.
Ipswich could welcome Wes Burns back into contention after he missed their last three matches with a calf injury, but it is thought that he is unlikely to be risked in this match ahead of their crunch home clash against Middlesbrough on 19 April.
David Button (calf), Conor Townsend (ACL) and Ashley Young (hip) remain absent.
When is Kick-Off?
Portsmouth host Ipswich at Fratton Park on Tuesday 14 April at 8pm GMT, live on Sky Sports Main Event in the UK.
Stat Attack
- Portsmouth are winless in their last five league meetings against Ipswich (D2, L3).
- Ipswich have lost just two of their last 18 league visits to Portsmouth (W8, D8, L2).
- Portsmouth have conceded in four of their last five league games at home against Ipswich, except for 1-0 win in December 2019 in League One.
- No Portsmouth player this season has been involved in more league goals than Adrian Segecic, with the Croatian having contributed seven involvements (five goals & two assists).
- Ipswich have won three of their last four away games by 2-0 results, whilst their other away trip in this period ended in a 3-3 draw at Stoke.
Prediction
Having produced a smash-and-grab victory at Middlesbrough last Saturday (11 April), Portsmouth now need to produce another huge clinical performance if want to beat Ipswich and put less pressure on themselves going into their potential season-defining clash against Leicester.
Ipswich though have a season-defining clash of their own coming up at the weekend as victories in both games would surely put them firmly on track for automatic promotion barring a shock collapse, but they do come here off the back of a clinical win at Norwich with excellent game management and control.
Both teams therefore will surely have one eye on their crucial fixtures against Leicester and Boro respectively, but I just don’t see Ipswich losing this if they play with the same clinical quality and control that they showed against the dominant Canaries.
Prediction: Portsmouth 0-2 Ipswich
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