Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at how Ipswich Town could line up for Saturday’s Premier League clash with Liverpool.
Ipswich Town play their first Premier League fixture in 22 years on Saturday lunchtime, when the Tractor Boys host heavyweights Liverpool at Portman Road following their second successive promotion.
Head coach Kieran McKenna heads into the opening weekend with a handful of injury concerns, as all of Harry Clarke (Achilles), George Hirst (knee), Nathan Broadhead (thigh) and Janoi Donacien (adductor) are out, while Cameron Humphreys (unspecified) is a doubt.
However, the hosts’ squad has been reinforced with nine new arrivals this summer – which will soon become 10 if Kalvin Phillips joins on loan from Manchester City – and a few of those signings will be present in the first XI here.
Ex-Burnley goalkeeper Arijanet Muric is among them, and the 25-year-old could be shielded by three central defenders in Axel Tuanzebe, George Edmundson and Jacob Greaves, who arrived from Hull City a few weeks ago.
Should McKenna indeed opt for a defence-heavy setup, Ben Johnson and Leif Davis – Ipswich’s Players’ Player of the Year in 2023-24 – would occupy the wing-back positions, either side of the regular midfield pairing of Sam Morsy and Massimo Luongo.
Following a stellar loan spell last season, Omari Hutchinson returned to Portman Road on a permanent deal from Chelsea this summer, as Ipswich forked out a club-record £20m to capture the ex-Arsenal product.
Hutchinson and Liam Delap – signed from Manchester City – should form two parts of the three-pronged Tractor Boys attack, alongside experienced winger Marcus Harness.
Ipswich Town possible starting lineup:
Muric; Tuanzebe, Edmundson, Greaves; Johnson, Luongo, Morsy, Davis; Hutchinson, Delap, Harness
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