Town will be without Richard Naylor when they face promoted Portsmouth on Friday evening at Portman Road (KO 5.15pm). Naylor was substituted at half-time during the Blues' 4-2 away win at Coventry City last Saturday and has not recovered sufficiently to take his place in the Town defence.

With John McGreal picking up a knee injury in the reserves on Tuesday, a knock the club are hoping will be revealed as medial ligament damage and not cruciate, the club are again short of central defenders. The swelling around McGreal's knee is going down and he will have a scan next week.

Due to the defensive shortage, skipper Matt Holland could well move to the right of Thomas Gaardsøe if Royle decides to play the usual three central defenders. The Dane is OK after his recent groin problems as is Jim Magilton who was taken off as a precaution at Highfield Road last Saturday.

Alun Armstrong comes into the Town 16 after continuing his recovery after his wrist injury in the reserves on Tuesday.

Darren Bent remains on the sidelines but Joe Royle is hoping the youngster will be back in full training by the middle of next week and he should be able to be involved in the Wimbledon and Derby County matches.

Mark Venus has returned to full training after his knee injury and may be involved in the reserves next week. Finidi George is set for another scan on his long-standing hip injury.

The Town manager admits to having checked what his side will need to do during the remainder of the season: “I've got an idea myself regarding points, but we've just got to keep with it. It would be nice to beat someone without giving them a two-goal start, but we've got to keep winning. It's certainly not been boring lately, though.

”We know we've got to beat Portsmouth, and I'm hoping they've been celebrating for three days. I was there on Tuesday night and I know that Harry's a good celebrator. And Jim Smith's even better!

“I thought they looked a little tense the other night, they probably knew that they'd been over the line with it all but confirmed it. Confirming it will probably take a little bit of the pressure off them. Equally they'll know that the season's done, and mentally they might relax and play better. Who knows?

“But it's down to us. We felt aggrieved not to win at Portsmouth and we've got a chance to put that right now, and our need is greater than there's.”

Royle felt that too much was made of his half-time team talk at Highfield Road on Saturday which led to his side turning a two-goal deficit to a 4-2 victory. He says he was particularly impressed with four-goal strikers Marcus Bent and Pablo Couñago who are increasingly looked like a dangerous partnership: “They've been looking more like a pair every week. I thought at one stage they couldn't play together but they had to because of injuries.

“They've both got so much going for them, individually. If Pablo gets that consistency of finishing that he had last weekend and if Marcus realises all the weaponry he has he can be awesome, and they can be a great pair. It was great to see.”

The Town boss says he still expects a few positions to switch in the play-off zone during the final games of the season: “It changes all the time. The changes in the last few weeks have been inside the top six rather than outside and ourselves and Norwich haven't been able to break in. But it can change again and there will be in the last four games and I hope one of them is a big change.”

“But if we don't win our games it doesn't matter. I've looked at the fixtures and I think it's possible for us to catch someone. If we win four I would certainly fancy our chances, three and a draw still gives us a chance. But it must start with a win against Portsmouth.

“We would have settled for this when we were fourth bottom. We took an eternity to get to 40 points and we seem to have gone from 40 to 60 very quickly.

“We're going to have a terrific crowd behind us and I hope we play as well as we did against Nottingham Forest but without the ten minute walkabout.”

A crowd of around the 30,000 mark is expected with very few seats left on sale. If it is over 30,000 it will reach that mark for the first time since the early eighties. Portman Road's capacity these days is 30,305, however 200 seats are not sold due to segregation issues.

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp says he won't be too disappointed not to win the First Division title: “Of course we would like to win the championship but there will be no long faces if it doesn't happen. Nevertheless it would be great to do it.

“But we can face a tough Easter programme knowing it is the opposition that has to do the sweating as they without doubt need to win.

“After all the agonising of what we need, and when we will do it, we can now go out and play some relaxed football safe in the knowledge that we are a Premier League club.

“We will be giving it our all over the next four games but we can go out there with a tremendous peace of mind and the chairman, players and fans richly deserve that.”

Star man Paul Merson feels Town will be tough opposition: “Ipswich are the best side we have played this season by miles. If they beat us I can see them reaching the play-offs.

“But they have to get past us to reach the play-offs and as I see it they must win on Friday.

“A full house at Portman Road, a decent pitch as well, me and the rest of the lads will be really up for it.”

Probable squad: Armstrong, M Bent, Bowditch, Couñago, Gaardsøe, Holland, Makin, Magilton, Marshall, Miller, Pullen, Reuser, Richards, Westlake, Wilnis and Wright.

Photo: Action Images

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