Preview: Ipswich Town vs Stoke City - prediction, team news, lineups

Ipswich Town and Stoke City, separated by just one point in the Championship, will come together for a matchday 20 clash on Wednesday night.

The Tractor Boys are fourth in the table with 31 points from 19 fixtures, while the Potters are sixth in the standings with 30 points from 19 league games.

Match preview

After Ipswich Town's relegation from the Premier League last term, the club entered the 2025-26 season with the objective of securing an immediate return to the top flight.

The Tractor Boys were boosted by retaining manager Kieran McKenna, who has consistently been linked with moves to top clubs in recent years, while an encouraging summer window left them among the favourites to gain promotion come the end of the campaign.

However, Ipswich endured an underwhelming opening to the Championship season, failing to win any of their first four league fixtures - three draws and one defeat - and shockingly losing 5-4 on penalties to Bromley in the first round of the EFL Cup.

McKenna's men finally ended their winless run with an emphatic 5-0 triumph against Sheffield United on matchday five, and the Tractor Boys have steadily climbed up the table ever since, rising from 20th to their current fourth-place standing.

With 31 points under their belt, from eight wins, seven draws and four defeats, Ipswich trail second-placed Middlesbrough by just five points, and they will be eager to stay within touching distance and keep applying the pressure on the automatic promotion places by recording another win on Wednesday.

The Tractor Boys will be confident heading into this fixture given their formidable form at Portman Road, where they have recorded five wins, four draws and just one defeat from 10 home games, while Ipswich have also lost just one of their last nine matches overall, with five wins and three draws.

In contrast to their hosts, Stoke City enjoyed an impressive opening to the campaign but have seen their form tail off in recent weeks.

Eight wins, three draws and only three losses from their first 14 Championship fixtures provided hope that the Potters may finally challenge for promotion back to the Premier League after seven dismal seasons in the second division following their top-flight relegation in 2017-18.

However, Mark Robins' side have now suffered four defeats in their last five outings, including a particularly devastating 4-0 defeat to Sheffield United at the weekend.

As a result, Stoke City have fallen from second in the standings heading into matchday 15 to sixth in the table coming into this matchday 20 clash, only narrowly leading seventh-placed Bristol City by one point.

The Potters will be desperate to respond to the weekend's miserable defeat by securing a much-needed win against Ipswich on Wednesday, a result which would see them leapfrog Ipswich in the standings and ensure they remain inside the top six moving forward.

However, Stoke have failed to triumph in any of their last three visits to Portman Road, with two defeats and one draw, while they have not recorded a victory against the Tractor Boys in any of their last three encounters, with two draws and one defeat.

Ipswich Town Championship form:

Ipswich Town form (all competitions):

Stoke City Championship form:

Stoke City form (all competitions):

Team News

Ipswich Town will remain without Conor Townsend and Harry Clarke for the foreseeable future due to injury, while Alex Palmer and Wes Burns could return to action in the coming weeks, although Wednesday's match is expected to come too soon for both players.

Faced with a busy winter schedule that sees the Tractor Boys face Leicester City just three days after this match, McKenna could look to make multiple changes to rotate his team and keep his side fresh.

As a result, the likes of Jack Clarke, Jens Cajuste, Sammie Szmodics and Ivan Azon could all come into the starting team, with Sindre Walle Egeli, Jack Taylor, George Hirst and Marcelino Nunez dropping to the bench.

As for Stoke City, Lewis Baker and Ben Pearson are both ruled out until later this month due to injury problems, and Ashley Phillips is also unavailable due to suspension after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season against Sheffield United.

Robins is likely to make numerous changes following his side's humiliating 4-0 loss at the weekend, meaning players such as Sam Gallagher, Steven N'Zonzi. Robert Bozenik and Aaron Cresswell could be handed starts.

Ipswich Town possible starting lineup:

Walton; Furlong, O'Shea, Kipre, Davis; Cajuste, Matusiwa; Clarke, Szmodics, Philogene-Bidace; Azon

Stoke City possible starting lineup:

Johansson; Tchamadeu, Lawal, Wilmot, Cresswell; N'Zonzi, Seko; Manhoef, Jun-Ho, Gallagher; Bozenik

We say: Ipswich Town 3-1 Stoke City

Ipswich's form has significantly improved following their slow start, while Stoke City's has taken a dramatic turn for the worse in recent weeks, leaving the Tractor Boys as the clear favourites to claim all three points.

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