The match between Ipswich Town and Chelsea presents an intriguing clash in the English football landscape, particularly considering the contrasting fortunes of both teams this season. Ipswich Town, currently struggling at the bottom of the league table, has lost five out of their last six matches and remains winless at home . In contrast, Chelsea has demonstrated resilience despite recent setbacks, such as a disappointing loss to Fulham and a draw with Everton. Historically, Chelsea has performed well against newly promoted teams during this period, which further complicates Ipswich's prospects .
Chelsea will be hoping to welcome back Romeo Lavia from a hamstring problem. Maresca will continue to be without Reece James, who has returned to training, Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile and Mykhailo Mudryk. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall missed the Fulham loss due to injury.
Ipswich Town, newly promoted this season, have faced a tough campaign under the management of Kieran McKenna. Currently battling in the relegation zone, the Tractor Boys are desperate for points to aid their survival bid. Despite their struggles, they have shown resilience and determination in patches.
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Ipswich Town possible starting lineup: Muric; O'Shea, Greaves, Burgess, Davis; Morsy, Cajuste; Chaplin, Hutchinson, Szmodics; Delap
Chelsea possible starting lineup: Sanchez; Gusto, Tosin, Colwill, Cucurella; Enzo, Caicedo; Madueke, Palmer, Joao Felix; Nkunku
In terms of predicted lineups for the match, Ipswich is expected to deploy a 4-2-3-1 formation featuring Muric; Clarke, O'Shea, Greaves, and Davis in defense; Morsy and Cajuste as holding midfielders; with Burns, Hutchinson, Szmodics supporting Delap in attack . Notably absent from Ipswich’s ranks will be Massimo Luongo due to illness and Ogbene who is out for the season. Chelsea’s lineup remains uncertain; however, it may see some rotation among players like Nkunku and Disasi due to fixture congestion.
Chelsea's performance and the subsequent result offered an explanation as to why Enzo Maresca has been keen to downplay his side's title hopes. While that was their first league defeat since October, the west Londoners are now ten points behind league leaders Liverpool.
At the other end of the table, Ipswich face an uphill battle to remain in the division. Kieran McKenna's side are likely to end 2024 in 19th having won just two league games upon their return to the top flight thus far.
As for predictions regarding the outcome of this matchup—while explicit forecasts are lacking in various analyses—it can be inferred that Chelsea enters as favorites given their superior historical performance against lower-tier teams and their overall away record this season. The absence of key players for both squads may influence game dynamics significantly but does not detract from Chelsea's potential advantage heading into this encounter.
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