Preview: Ipswich Town vs. Arsenal Under-21s - prediction, team news, lineups

Whoever prevails from the game in East Anglia will move to the brink of qualification to the knockout rounds with Northampton Town and Cambridge United also squaring off in Group H on the same night.

Match preview

While Ipswich were tipped to have a strong season during 2022-23, few people would have anticipated the Tractor Boys coming through their opening nine matches without suffering defeat.

A total of six wins and three draws have come from their third-tier fixtures, the latest stalemate coming on Saturday afternoon as they let slip a two-goal advantage away at Sheffield Wednesday.

How the point was achieved will frustrate Kieran McKenna with his team having kept clean sheets in seven successive halves of football before their capitulation at Hillsborough.

Nevertheless, the result kept Ipswich at the top of the standings, level on points with fellow unbeaten side Portsmouth, and McKenna will now want to build on their dominant win over Northampton Town in their first game of this competition.

Ipswich scored six goals without reply against the League Two outfit on August 30, Marcus Harness scoring two of his five goals for the campaign in that match.

From the perspective of Arsenal Under-21s, a 2-0 win and clean sheet to boot was a fine achievement away at League One side Cambridge United.

Although the young Gunners are unbeaten in Premier League 2, recording a shutout against senior opposition was a feather in the cap for Mehmet Ali's side.

Nathan Butler-Oyedeji netted both goals at the Abbey Stadium, the versatile attacker now established as one of Ali's key men in the final third.

While Arsenal sit joint-top of Premier League 2, they were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday afternoon.

Ipswich Town EFL Trophy form:

Ipswich Town form (all competitions):

Arsenal Under-21s EFL Trophy form:

Arsenal Under-21s form (all competitions):

Team News

McKenna is likely to make a number of changes to his Ipswich side with many of the substitutes from the Sheffield Wednesday game potentially being given game time.

Greg Leigh, Harness and Freddie Ladapo will expect to come into the team, while veteran defender Richard Keogh is also an option after making his League One debut for Ipswich at the weekend.

Cameron Burgess remains sidelined with a number of facial fractures, but youngster Cameron Humphreys is in line to feature among the replacements after injury.

Defender Henry Jeffcott and playmaker Amario Cozier-Duberry will both miss out for Arsenal after being called-up by Northern Ireland Under-19s and England Under-19s respectively.

Josh Nichols and Billy Vigar may be handed opportunities in their place.

Ipswich Town possible starting lineup:

Walton; Donacien, Keogh, Edmundson; Burns, Evans, Morsy, Leigh; Chaplin, Harness; Ladapo

Arsenal Under-21s possible starting lineup:

Graczyk; Lannin-Sweet, Awe, Foran, Nichols; Cirjan, Ibrahim, Bandeira; Sagoe, Butler-Oyedeji; Vigar

We say: Ipswich Town 2-0 Arsenal Under-21s

Having already got a win under their belts, Arsenal's youngsters will fancy their chances of causing a surprise at Ipswich. However, we cannot ignore the form of the Tractors Boys, who we feel will prevail from this contest in relatively comfortable fashion.

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