Ipswich Town welcome struggling Sheffield Wednesday to Portman Road in what should be a straightforward assignment for Kieran McKenna's promotion hopefuls. The Owls arrive as massive underdogs, rooted to the bottom of the table and facing almost certain relegation.
The state of play
Ipswich sit 5th in the Championship with 34 points from 21 matches. The Tractor Boys are firmly in the promotion race under McKenna, though they suffered a setback last weekend with a 3-1 defeat at Leicester City. Abdul Fatawu's stunning long-range goal capped a frustrating afternoon for the visitors.
The hosts had shown their credentials earlier in December with impressive victories over Coventry City (3-0) and Stoke City (1-0), demonstrating they can compete with the best in the division.
Sheffield Wednesday are in crisis. The club have been placed into administration following the end of Dejphon Chansiri's reign, and relegation back to League One is almost inevitable with the club sitting on -9 points after 20 games. Under Henrik Pedersen, Wednesday have managed just one win, six draws and 12 defeats.
Their latest setback was a 3-0 hammering at Derby County on Monday night, extending their miserable run to four defeats in five games.
Team news
Ipswich have several players sidelined including Alex Palmer, Cameron Humphreys, Chuba Akpom, Conor Townsend and Harry Clarke. Sammie Szmodics is also unavailable.
Sheffield Wednesday's squad has been further depleted by players departing for the Africa Cup of Nations. They are also without Di'Shon Bernard, Nathaniel Chalobah, Olaf Kobacki and several others through injury. Captain Barry Bannan picked up a knock against Watford but may be available.
Key players
George Hirst leads Ipswich's attack and has been regularly among the shots this season. Jack Clarke provides dynamism from wide positions, while Samuel Szmodics links play effectively from midfield.
For Wednesday, Jamal Lowe offers pace that could exploit any complacency from the hosts, though the Owls will likely be on the back foot for long periods.
Head-to-head
Ipswich's growth against Sheffield Wednesday is evident in recent meetings. After losing in January 2022, they drew twice in 2022-23, won 1-0 away in September 2023, and then demolished the Owls 6-0 at Portman Road in March 2024. Wednesday will have that result in the back of their minds.
Prediction
This should be comfortable for Ipswich. Sheffield Wednesday are a shadow of themselves, decimated by injuries, administration and poor form. McKenna's men need to bounce back from the Leicester defeat and this is the perfect opportunity.
Prediction: Ipswich 3-0 Sheffield Wednesday
