Ipswich Town meet Middlesbrough in a season-defining showdown in the race for automatic promotion.
Victory or a draw would see Ipswich return to second in the table, whilst Middlesbrough will stay fifth but a win would put them level with their hosts and one point off second-placed Millwall.
Team News
Leif Davis is available for Ipswich after he missed their 2-0 defeat at Portsmouth in midweek due to personal matters.
Azor Matusiwa (leg) and Wes Burns (calf) are doubts and face late fitness checks.
David Button (calf), Conor Townsend (ACL) and Ashley Young (hip) remain absent.
Middlesbrough could be without Jeremy Sarmiento and Matt Targett after the pair picked up unspecified injury issues in their 1-0 loss to Portsmouth.
Morgan Whittaker (knock) face late fitness checks, but Alex Bangura (muscle), Leo Castledine (unspecified), Hayden Hackney (calf), Alfie Jones (ankle) and Darragh Lenihan (Achilles) are expected to remain ruled out.
When is Kick-Off?
Ipswich host Middlesbrough at Portman Road on Sunday 19 April at 12pm BST, live on Sky Sports Main Event and Football channels in the UK.
Stat Attack
- Ipswich have won one of their last 10 meetings against Middlesbrough (W1, D3, L6).
- Middlesbrough have avoided defeat in their last four visits to Ipswich (W2, D2).
- Ipswich have lost two of their last four home games against Middlesbrough by 2-0 results.
- Kieran McKenna’s Tractor Boys are looking to avoid suffering consecutive defeats for the first time since October 2025.
- Middlesbrough have kept clean sheets in two of their last three away games (W1, D2).
Prediction
After their shock lacklustre defeat at Portsmouth, Ipswich must regroup now and put together a clinical display because if they win this then you have to think that they will kick on and secure promotion, otherwise that particular scrap is surely destined for a final-day climax.
That latter point will be even more valid if Boro were to take the win which would mean one point separating second to fifth with three matchweeks left (although Ipswich and Southampton’s game in hand on 28 April is against each other), but they first have to rediscover their spark after a wasteful run of matches.
Boro’s wastefulness in particular was highlighted in their defeat at home to Portsmouth because they dominated that game yet lacked a clinical end product, yet conceded from Portsmouth’s only shot on target against them in the last minute of injury time.
Both teams therefore will be right up for this as will their fans but given that Middlesbrough have had a week to prepare unlike Ipswich and Kim Hellberg’s coyness on team news, I wouldn’t be surprised if Hackney is back and they nick this otherwise it will be a draw.
Prediction: Ipswich 1-2 Middlesbrough
Result: Ipswich 2-2 Middlesbrough