Preview: Ipswich Town vs. Blackburn Rovers - prediction, team news, lineups

Ipswich Town play host to Blackburn Rovers on Saturday afternoon looking to continue their remarkable start to their return to the Championship.

While the Tractor Boys occupy third position in the standings, Blackburn are down in 12th spot after a mixed run of results.

Match preview

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Having needed to battle back from behind to see off Cardiff City before the international break, Kieran McKenna may have had concerns that Ipswich's standards were starting to slip.

However, his side have since responded with back-to-back 1-0 successes over Sheffield Wednesday and Southampton on away territory, suggesting that they will be in the promotion hunt in the long haul.

Although the East Anglian outfit have conceded seven times in as many games, they have also now kept four clean sheets, and McKenna will be excited by the resilience shown versus Southampton in midweek.

The Saints have dropped off in recent games, yet recording a shutout against opponents who had netted seven times in their previous three matches at St Mary's can only be regarded as an impressive achievement.

Ipswich must now find a way to extend their momentum into the autumn as there is already a six-point gap between themselves and seventh position.

From Blackburn's perspective, a long trip to the East Coast is far from ideal after losing 3-1 at home to Sunderland on Wednesday night.

Having defeated Middlesbrough in the previous game, Jon Dahl Tomasson would have been hopeful of another positive result at Ewood Park, yet he witnessed his team lose at home for the second time this season.

That said, Rovers have been consistently inconsistent, not posting two of the same results in succession in the Championship, and they will hope that continues at the weekend.

Tomasson's team already have four points from three away fixtures this campaign, yet their last lengthy trip led to a 3-0 defeat at the hands of another newly-promoted club in Plymouth Argyle.

Team News

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Leif Davis and Kayden Jackson remain injury doubts for Ipswich after they missed the win over Southampton with minor ankle and knee injuries.

Massimo Luongo could return to central midfield to take the place of Jack Taylor, who was making just his second Championship start of the campaign at St Mary's.

Nathan Broadhead may also be considered for a return in the final third, although that may be dependent on how Omari Hutchinson recovers from completing 80 minutes in his first start in the second tier.

Tomasson will consider freshening up his Blackburn side, although the Dane is without forward Sam Gallagher until November due to a calf injury.

Lewis Travis came through 58 minutes against Sunderland after picking up a knock in the previous game and should be fit enough to keep his place.

However, Joe Rankin-Costello and Tyrhys Dolan are both pushing for recalls with the latter an option to play as a false nine ahead of Harry Leonard.

Ipswich Town possible starting lineup:

Hladky; Clarke, Woolfenden, Burgess, Williams; Morsy, Luongo; Burns, Chaplin, Hutchinson; Hirst

Blackburn Rovers possible starting lineup:

Pears; Brittain, Carter, Hyam, Pickering; Travis, Wharton; Hedges, Szmodics, Moran; Dolan

We say: Ipswich Town 3-1 Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn have shown this season that they are capable of winning against the odds and losing when they are favourites. Nevertheless, despite their underdog status heading into this fixture, we cannot look beyond Ipswich posting another maximum haul and extending their outstanding start to 2023-24.

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