Ipswichvs.Brighton

Omari Hutchinson has already been ruled out of the next two matches with a groin issue, and will not return until their trip to Liverpool at the earliest at the end of the month.

The 21-year-old scored in their 2-0 win over Chelsea, and his other league goal also came at Portman Road against Manchester United at the end of November.

On the opposite flank, Sammie Szmodics is also likely to miss out due to an ankle injury that manager Kieran McKenna has revealed is currently keeping the Irishman in a protective boot.

Szmodics has scored plenty of important goals already this season for the Tractor Boys, notching the opening goal in four separate games, including in their last outing at Fulham.

That means much more onus will be on Liam Delap to provide the goods for the hosts, and he has often performed on home soil, scoring 50% of Ipswich's goals at Portman Road in the league this season.

Delap was rested in the FA Cup at the weekend in a rotated Ipswich side, which gave opportunities to the likes of Ali Al-Hamadi, Jack Clarke and Jack Taylor.

The latter two both took that chance by scoring in the 3-0 win, but Al-Hamadi squandered an opportunity to get on the scoresheet himself, by scuffing a penalty well wide of the post.

Elsewhere on the injury list, Chiedozie Ogbene will not play again this season after snapping his Achilles, while Axel Tuanzebe and Conor Chaplin are not fit to return yet.

Ipswich Town possible starting lineup:

Walton; Johnson, O'Shea, Woolfenden, Greaves, Davis; Morsy, Cajuste; Broadhead, Delap, J Clarke

Written by

Andrew Delaney