Preview: Ipswich Town vs Blackpool - prediction, team news, lineups

Ipswich Town play host to Blackpool on Saturday in an FA Cup third-round tie between two previous winners of English football’s most historic club competition.

With 39 places separating these esteemed sides, the League One Tangerines will be hoping they can defy expectation and show Kieran McKenna’s promotion-chasing Tractor Boys the exit door.

Match preview

Suffolk’s supremos have been on quite a resurgence in recent months, having lost one game in their last eight in the league, as they seek to bounce back to the top flight at the first time of asking.

After being chewed up and spat back out by the famously merciless Premier League last term, Ipswich’s return to the second tier has been, by no means, smooth sailing, with McKenna’s men losing one fewer already than they did in the entirety of their promotion-winning campaign in 2023-24.

Since their momentous FA Cup triumph in 1977-78 against Arsenal, Ipswich have failed to reach another final in the competition and have not progressed beyond the fifth round in the last 28 editions of the knockout tournament.

Boasting favourite status going into this encounter, McKenna’s side will be hoping they can take advantage of their quality and earn their place in the fourth-round draw.

Meanwhile, Blackpool’s campaign has demonstrated signs of revival, following the sacking of Steve Bruce and the appointment of Ian Evatt.

Sitting precariously in 18th place in the third tier, the Tangerines have won three of their last five in the league, although they have fallen to consecutive defeats in their most recent outings against Port Vale (5-1) and Bradford City (1-2), respectively.

The Bloomfield Road side have not won major silverware since their 1952-53 FA Cup final victory over Bolton Wanderers in what was dubbed the “Matthews Final” – a tribute to Stanley Matthews’s standout performance.

The two sides have met in the FA Cup once before, in 2010, with Ipswich running out 2-1 winners.

The Tractor Boys’ recent record against Saturday’s opposition has seen them best their Lancashire counterparts, having lost just two of their last 10, winning six and drawing two.

Ipswich Town form (all competitions):

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Blackpool FA Cup form:

Blackpool form (all competitions):

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Team News

Ipswich will once again be without defensive duo Harry Clarke and Conor Townsend, who remain sidelined through injury, with Clarke also the subject of transfer speculation this month.

George Hirst is also looking likely to miss out on his fourth straight game because of a groin problem.

The hosts are coming off the back of an extended break after their game away at Portsmouth was postponed last week, and they may look to give some of their starting personnel further rest here.

Following their 2-1 loss to Bradford City last Sunday, Evatt could look to shuffle his pack, with James Husband ruled out for the second match of his three-game suspension and potentially facing further punishment, pending an FA misconduct investigation.

Meanwhile, forward Niall Ennis is edging closer to a return, although the Blackpool boss has warned that the striker will need time to build up full match fitness before coming back into contention.

Ipswich Town possible starting lineup:

Palmer; Young, Woolfenden, O’Shea, Davis; Humphreys, Cajuste; Burns, Nunez, Clarke; Akpom

Blackpool possible starting lineup:

Peacock-Farrell; Casey, Horsfall, Lyons; Imray, Morgan, Honeyman, Ashworth; Bowler; Bloxham, Fletcher

We say: Ipswich Town 2-1 Blackpool

Ipswich’s quality advantage should see them come through this third-round tie, especially given their strong recent form and positive record against Blackpool.

While the Tangerines may compete for spells, the Tractor Boys are fancied to assert their dominance and progress to the fourth round, likely by a narrow margin.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.