Highlights
- Ipswich Town, led by manager Kieran McKenna, is full of confidence heading into their East Anglian Derby against Norwich City.
- Ipswich is considering making two changes to their lineup, including potentially starting Harry Clarke and Luke Woolfenden in defense.
- Players like Sam Morsy and Conor Chaplin have been key for Ipswich this season and are expected to start in the match against Norwich.
Ipswich Town will go into today’s East Anglian Derby full of confidence, with a lunchtime kick-off against Norwich City giving Kieran McKenna’s men a chance to move to the summit before Enzo Maresca’s Leicester City play later in the day.
The Canaries, on the other hand, will be dreading their short trip to Suffolk, praying that McKenna’s Tractor Boys don’t humiliate them and pile on the misery in a fierce Derby match – Norwich currently in an unsatisfactory mid-table spot.
Ipswich’s highly thought of manager will consider changing his side up for the task of overcoming Norwich, with two changes potentially up his sleeve from the recent win over Watford.
1
GK – Vaclav Hladky
McKenna will keep faith in his first-team goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky for a potentially cagey game against Norwich, the Czech shot-stopper is yet to miss a game this season for the Tractor Boys in the second tier.
2
RB – Harry Clarke
Brandon Williams could miss out on playing against his former loan club Norwich owing to injury, substituted off at half-time against Watford after picking up a knock.
Even if he is deemed fit enough to start, Ipswich’s seven-figure man Harry Clarke could be deemed as a more dependable and safe option to start over Williams – the ex-Arsenal youth player making 15 appearances this season for the promotion-chasing Tractor Boys, whilst the Red Devils loanee has infrequently featured with seven starts.
3
CB – Luke Woolfenden
McKenna could further drop another figure with Man United connections from the starting eleven in Axel Tuanzebe, Ipswich signing the 26-year-old from the Premier League club in September.
Ipswich’s new number 40 wasn’t catastrophic at the back by any means versus Watford – notching up seven clearances and a 100% success rate with his aerial duels, as per Sofascore – but again starting Luke Woolfenden could make more sense in a game that could potentially need senior figures to step up and be counted.
Starting 18 games this season, Woolfenden could add a 19th game to his season tally today against David Wagner’s inconsistent Norwich.
4
CB – Cameron Burgess
Cameron Burgess should be retained even with two of his teammates at the back being potentially axed, the former Accrington Stanley man putting in a solid showing against Watford.
Winning 75% of his aerial duels at Vicarage Road, McKenna will want his trustworthy centre-back to be similarly dominant against the Canaries.
5
LB – Leif Davis
Leif Davis will also sleep easy knowing that his spot in McKenna’s starting eleven will also be set in stone for the Norwich match, featuring 20 times this season under his boss.
Davis stood out in the slim 2-1 win at Watford last match, attempting to constantly create more openings to make the victory more comprehensive – making two key passes in the game to play his part.
6
CM – Sam Morsy
Sam Morsy is also a guaranteed starter for the fierce Norwich game, McKenna will need his hardened leaders to step up to the mark in such a hostile match and Morsy should do just that.
The Egypt international led by example away at Watford, scoring a crucial late winner in the away match to send the Ipswich fans into raptures.
7
CM – Massimo Luongo
Morsy’s holding midfield partner in Massimo Luongo is also equally dependable, the 31-year-old will be key in protecting the defence up against Norwich.
Luongo can also venture forward with ease, as was showcased in his star performance against Millwall in the middle of November – getting on the scoresheet against the travelling Lions to help his team overcome their London opponents 3-1.
8
RM – Marcus Harness
Only starting three games this season – one of those coming against Watford – Marcus Harness could be in for another surprise inclusion in McKenna’s eleven today.
The 27-year-old winger was lively at Vicarage Road all match, earning his right to be in this lineup based on this display alone – hitting two shots on target in the game as a constant menace for the Hornets defenders to keep tabs on.
Nathan Broadhead – who McKenna usually starts with – didn’t shine either when being substituted on in his place deep into the second half and so Harness could be in from the get-go again in the East Anglian derby.
9
CAM – Conor Chaplin
Conor Chaplin also wasn’t at the races much like Broadhead, but the ex-Portsmouth man started the game at Vicarage Road.
Ipswich’s number ten only registered one shot on the Watford goal in a below-par 68-minute spell, but will be retained owing to his goalscoring exploits over the full season to date.
Amassing eight goals and five assists this campaign, Chaplin will hope he can help his team in whatever way necessary against the Canaries to pick up another win.
10
LM – Omari Hutchinson
Chelsea will be overjoyed by how Omari Hutchinson is getting on at Ipswich, pushing senior first-team figures all the way to start recent matches for the Tractor Boys.
Hutchinson would add to his Ipswich goals tally – which now stands at two – away at Middlesbrough, before putting in another calm and controlled performance away at Watford.
McKenna will opt to start the Blues loanee again for the game against Norwich, hoping that the exciting winger can catch Canaries defenders off-guard with more of his youthful exuberance.
11
ST – George Hirst
George Hirst scored his sixth goal of the second-tier season away at Valerien Ismael’s Hornets, Ipswich’s number 27 quickest to react to Ben Hamer spilling a shot in the Watford goal to then simply tap home.
The 24-year-old also hit the woodwork in the match, unfortunate not to have a brace for his troubles.
Hirst will already be dreaming about being the Tractor Boys hero at Portman Road against arch-rivals Norwich, the 24-year-old finding a fixed home in Ipswich after signing a permanent deal in the summer – following a multitude of loan moves away from former club Leicester City.
Ipswich predicted lineup in full vs Norwich: GK – Hladky; RB – Clarke, CB – Woolfenden, CB – Burgess, LB – Davis; CM – Morsy, CM – Luongo; RM – Harness, CAM – Chaplin, LM – Hutchinson; ST – Hirst
