Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at how Ipswich Town could line up for Saturday’s Premier League clash with Manchester City.
Ipswich Town could be without as many as five players for Saturday’s Premier League encounter against champions Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
George Hirst (knee), Nathan Broadhead (hamstring) and Harry Clarke (Achilles) all remain sidelined while Arijanet Muric (calf) and Wes Burns (hamstring) will both be assessed ahead of kickoff; the latter was forced off with his injury in last weekend’s 2-0 defeat at home to Liverpool.
Meanwhile, new loan signing Kalvin Phillips is ineligible to face his parent club Man City, but the Tractor Boys have been boosted by the news that Cameron Humphreys (thigh) is back in training after brief spell on the sidelines.
Head coach Kieran McKenna has already made nine summer signings, at the time of writing, and Tractor Boy trio Sammie Szmodics, Ben Johnson and Jens Cajuste are all in contention to make their full debuts, with the latter set to be selected in the matchday squad for the first time after joining on loan from Napoli on Tuesday.
Ipswich are also hoping that striker Armando Broja will finalise his loan move from Chelsea in time to face Man City, although an immediate start is seemingly unlikely, so Liam Delap – who was sold by the Citizens for an initial £15m earlier this summer – could retain his place up front.
Should McKenna decided to stick with a four-man defence, Axel Tuanzebe will continue at right-back and play alongside Luke Woolfenden, Jacob Greaves and Leif Davis, but ex-West Ham United man Johnson could replace the former in defence, while he is also an option to play further forward on the right flank if Burns misses out.
Captain Sam Morsy, Massimo Luongo, Conor Chaplin and Omari Hutchinson all started against Liverpool and are in contention to keep their places in the first XI on Saturday.
Ipswich Town possible starting lineup: Walton; Tuanzebe, Woolfenden, Greaves, Davis; Morsy, Luongo; Johnson, Chaplin, Hutchinson; Delap
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