Josh Harrop has been handed his full debut as Blues boss Paul Lambert makes five changes from the team which lost 2-1 at Peterborough a week ago.

Luke Matheson and Myles Kenlock return as the full-backs with Stephen Ward and Luke Chambers dropping to the bench. Luke Woolfenden and Mark McGuinness continue at centre-half with Tomas Holy in goal.

Flynn Downes skippers from the deeper midfield role with Andre Dozzell and debutant Harrop,, one of five loan players in the starting XI, ahead of him with Teddy Bishop and Alan Judge subs having started at London Road.

Troy Parrott is the lone central striker with Freddie Sears on the left and Luke Thomas on the right. James Norwood is on the bench.

Second-bottom Northampton make two changes from the team which lost 2-0 at home to Burton Albion on Saturday with Jack Sowerby and Fraser Horsfall replacing Ryan Watson and Cian Bolger.

Ipswich: Holy, Matheson, Woolfenden, McGuinness, Kenlock, Dozzell, Downes (c), Harrop, Thomas, Sears, Parrott. Subs: Cornell, Chambers, Ward, Bishop, Judge, Lankester, Norwood.

Northampton: Mitchell, Kioso, Horsfall, Jones, Mills (c), McWilliams, Sowerby, Morris, Hoskins, Marshall, Rose. Subs: Arnold, Bolger, Harriman, Watson, Ashley-Seal, Edmondson, Chukwuemeka. Referee: Darren Drysdale (Lincolnshire).

Photo: Matchday Images

runningout added 19:13 - Feb 16 We have no right to be flattering ourselves v anyone right now or ever
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Len_Brennan added 19:25 - Feb 16 Linkboy - How do you see that as a very attacking line up? He has swapped the 2 older full backs for younger legs fair enough, but their primary function is as defenders. He still has the same 4-3-3 / 4-5-1 set up as normal, albeit with Harrop & Thomas in instead of Lankester & Bishop/Judge and another emergency (!) loan addition in the striker role. They should still beat a poor Northampton side 2 or 3-0, but a 4-4-2, even with Drinan starting & Norwood off the bench, would be more of an attacking approach.

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GoingUp added 19:35 - Feb 16 If we lose tonight the lunch mob should be out, players step up. Lambert attend press conferences or else.
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jonju11 added 19:47 - Feb 16 What a diabolical performance so far. Clueless & hoofing the ball like a pub team. ( no disrespect to local pubs!) Have these players been introduced to each other yet? If I didn't know better this game could be fixed!!!
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Ipswichbusiness added 19:49 - Feb 16 GoingUp; I like the thought of the “lunch mob” being out, very civilised, so Ipswich!
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Skip73 added 19:54 - Feb 16 No shots on target vs 2nf bottom Northampton!! Disgraceful!! EVANS AND SHAMBERT OUT!!
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Dockerblue added 19:55 - Feb 16 Why does this joke of a manager persist with playing Sears, out on the left. Gets caught offside countless times and couldn't,t hit a barn door! God help us
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GoingUp added 19:59 - Feb 16 Time for the Liberia approach has passed sad to say. I'll take over as manger, have being at Carrot Road on my cv when we won 5-0, after giving it large after the 1st hols was segregated then had a police escort out of the ground after the sweet 5-0, would have more passion than scummer in discuise pick up the pay check Lambert
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Elizabeth added 19:59 - Feb 16 Worst forty five minutes I've seen this season .. no shape , commitment or creativity.. whatever they do in training is beyond me ! Changes again for changes sake , still tinkering around with his team selection.. absolutely sodding clueless .. do the decent thing and exit our club PLEASE!!
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GoingUp added 20:01 - Feb 16 Please excuse the predictive texting, come in the town!
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LWNR2013 added 20:02 - Feb 16 Northampton looking very good (in comparison)
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jonju11 added 20:02 - Feb 16 What do these players practice on the training ground. Absolute shambles, no idea how to pass the ball to one of our own. There must be a good argument for just playing all of our Under23's
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GoingUp added 20:02 - Feb 16 On! You blues!!!
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