Ipswich Town will be confident heading into today’s East Anglian Derby, with a midday kick-off against Norwich City offering Kieran McKenna’s side an opportunity to climb to the top of the table 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, hoping McKenna’s Tractor Boys do not humiliate them and add to their suffering in a tense Derby match as Norwich currently sits in an undesirable mid-table position.
Ipswich’s highly regarded manager will contemplate changing his lineup for the objective of defeating Norwich, with two possible alterations from the previous success over Watford.
GK – Vaclav Hladky
McKenna will stick with first-team goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky in a potentially tense game against Norwich; the Czech shot-stopper has yet to miss a game for the Tractor Boys in the second tier this season.
RB – Harry Clarke
Brandon Williams, who was substituted at half-time against Watford after picking up a knock, might miss out on playing against his previous loan side Norwich due to injury.
Even if he is deemed fit enough to play, Ipswich’s seven-figure man Harry Clarke may be regarded as a more dependable and safe option to start over Williams, with the ex-Arsenal youth player making 15 appearances for the promotion-chasing Tractor Boys this season, while the Red Devils loanee has only made seven starts.
CB – Luke Woolfenden
McKenna might drop another player with Man United ties from the starting eleven in Axel Tuanzebe, who Ipswich signed from the Premier League club in September.
Ipswich’s new number 40 wasn’t terrible at the back against Watford, notching seven clearances and a 100% success rate in aerial duels, according to Sofascore, but starting Luke Woolfenden could make more sense in a game that could potentially require senior figures to step up and be counted.
Woolfenden has started 18 games this season and could add a 19th today against David Wagner’s unreliable Norwich.
CB – Cameron Burgess
Cameron Burgess, the former Accrington Stanley man, should be kept even if two of his comrades at the back are potentially dismissed after a strong performance against Watford.
McKenna will want his dependable centre-back, who won 75% of aerial duels at Vicarage Road, to be equally dominant against the Canaries.
LB – Leif Davis
Leif Davis can also rest easy knowing that his place in McKenna’s starting eleven for the Norwich game is certain, despite appearing 20 times this season under his coach.
Davis stood out in last week’s 2-1 win over Watford, looking to create more openings to make the victory more comprehensive – producing two vital passes in the game to contribute.
CM – Sam Morsy
Sam Morsy is also a lock to start against Norwich. McKenna will need his seasoned leaders to step up in such a tough match, and Morsy should do just that.
The Egypt international set a good example away against Watford, scoring a critical late winner to send Ipswich supporters into raptures.
CM – Massimo Luongo
Massimo Luongo, Morsy’s holding midfield partner, is similarly trustworthy; the 31-year-old will be crucial in safeguarding the defense against Norwich.
Luongo can also move forward with ease, as evidenced by his standout performance against Millwall in the middle of November, when he scored against the visiting Lions to assist his team defeat their London opponents 3-1.
RM – Marcus Harness
Marcus Harness, who has only started three games this season, one of which was against Watford, might be a surprise inclusion in McKenna’s eleven today.
The 27-year-old winger was active all game at Vicarage Road, earning his spot in this lineup based on this performance alone – firing two shots on target as a continuous threat for the Hornets defense to keep eyes on.
Nathan Broadhead, who McKenna typically starts with, didn’t impress when he came on late in the second half, therefore Harness might start from the start again in the East Anglian derby.
CAM – Conor Chaplin
Conor Chaplin wasn’t at the races as much as Broadhead, but the ex-Portsmouth man got the game started at Vicarage Road.
Ipswich’s number 10 only had one shot on goal against Watford in a 68-minute stint, but he will be kept due to his goalscoring exploits this season.
Chaplin has eight goals and five assists this season and will try to aid his club in any way possible against the Canaries to earn up another win.
LM – Omari Hutchinson
Chelsea will be delighted with Omari Hutchinson’s progress at Ipswich, where he has pushed experienced first-team players all the way to starting recent Tractor Boys matches.
Hutchinson would add to his Ipswich tally of two goals against Middlesbrough before putting up another composed display against Watford.
McKenna will start the Blues loanee again against Norwich, hoping that the lively winger will surprise Canaries defenders with more of his youthful energy.
ST – George Hirst
George Hirst scored his sixth goal of the season away at Valerien Ismael’s Hornets, Ipswich’s number 27 reacting quickly to Ben Hamer fumbling a shot in the Watford goal to calmly tap home.
In the encounter, the 24-year-old also struck the crossbar and was unlucky not to have a brace to show for it.
Hirst will already be fantasizing about being the Tractor Boys hero at Portman Road against arch-rivals Norwich, having signed a permanent transfer in the summer after a string 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
