Preview: Ipswich Town vs Sheffield Wednesday - prediction, team news, lineups

Two sides fighting at opposite ends of the Championship table will do battle at Portman Road on Saturday, as Ipswich Town welcome Sheffield Wednesday to Portman Road.

The visitors remain rooted to the foot of the table after another defeat on Monday, while their hosts also lost at the weekend leaving them fifth.

Match preview

Ipswich Town return to action on Saturday hoping to get back to winning ways and narrow their gap to the Championship’s top two.

Despite a slow start to life back in England’s second tier, in their bid to make an immediate return to the Premier League, the Tractor Boys do now find themselves fifth having moved onto 34 points from their 21 outings.

Their success has largely come at Portman Road, with only two teams in the Championship topping their tally of 22 points from 11 home games, including 3-0 and 1-0 triumphs over Coventry City and Stoke City earlier in December.

Then aiming to make it three wins on the bounce and ramp up the pressure on the automatic promotion spots, Kieran McKenna’s side visited Leicester City on Saturday but left empty-handed, with Jens Cajuste’s goal nothing more than a consolation after Bobby De Cordova-Reid, Abdul Fatawu and Jordan Ayew had the hosts 3-0 up.

Having dropped back down to fifth as a result of that setback, eight points outside of the top two and just one above seventh spot, Ipswich Town will hope to bounce back on Saturday and make it three straight home wins.

Their visitors, meanwhile, head to Portman Road in search of a first Championship victory since September and just a second of the season.

The 2025-26 season has been a tough one for Sheffield Wednesday, who have been served 18-point deductions thus far, the first 12 of which came after entering administration in October.

That has come alongside a difficult season on the pitch, with Henrik Pedersen's side fighting with a thin squad, and they have only managed nine points thus far to sit on -9 after 20 outings, having failed to win any of their last 14 league outings.

After ending a four-match losing streak with a 1-1 draw away at Watford, the Owls set out to return to winning ways at home to Derby County on Monday but succumbed to a 3-0 defeat, with Patrick Agyemang netting a brace alongside a Liam Thompson goal.

Now sitting 29 points adrift of safety, but with hope ahead of the end of administration and change in ownership, Sheffield Wednesday will hope to lift spirits and take a major scalp on the road on Saturday.

Ipswich Town Championship form:

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Sheffield Wednesday Championship form:

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Team News

Ipswich Town will remain without Harry Clarke, Conor Townsend and Wes Burns on Saturday due to ongoing injuries, while Sindre Walle Egeli also missed out last weekend.

If he is still sidelined, Jaden Philogene and Jack Clarke will continue on the wings, having netted a combined tally of 13 league goals this term, while George Hirst, Ivan Azon and Chuba Akpom will compete to lead the line.

Sammie Szmodics will battle for a starting spot in the attacking line, while Jens Cajuste should rejoin Azor Matusiwa in the engine room from the outset.

Sheffield Wednesday are unable to call on Di'Shon Bernard, Ernie Weaver, Olaf Kobacki and Nathan Redmond due to injuries, although Nathaniel Chalobah and George Brown have returned to contention.

The Owls are also without Sean Fusire and Yan Valery, who are away at the Africa Cup of Nations, with Liam Palmer set to come in on the right-hand side in Fusire's absence.

Chalobah may earn a first start in midfield since the opening day, having returned from a long injury layoff, while Charlie McNeill, Bailey Cadamarteri and Jamal Lowe will compete for attacking spots.

Ipswich Town possible starting lineup:

Walton; Furlong, O'Shea, Kipre, Davis; Matusiwa, Cajuste; Clarke, Nunez, Philogene; Hirst

Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:

Charles; Iorfa, Cooper, M Lowe; Palmer, Chalobah, Bannan, Ingelsson, Amass; J Lowe, McNeill

We say: Ipswich Town 3-0 Sheffield Wednesday

Desperate to continue a strong home run and get back to winning ways in their promotion bid, Ipswich Town should have far too much quality for a threadbare Sheffield Wednesday side at Portman Road.

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