Boss Mick McCarthy says he would rather have drawn a Premier League side such as Southampton in the third round of the FA Cup rather than risk a banana skin tie against lower league opposition.
The Blues are set to face the Saints, who are currently fifth in the top flight, at St Mary’s on Sunday 4th January unless the game is moved for TV coverage.
"I’m pleased with it,” McCarthy said of the tie. "It would have been nicer if it had been Southampton here or another Premier League team at Portman Road.
"I didn’t want Accrington Stanley, for example. I didn’t want a team where you’re on a nice run like we’re on where we’re playing well and then that horrible banana skin is just waiting for you there.
"No, I think that Southampton have got the banana skin. They’ve been flying, they got a Championship team who are doing OK and it’s a test for them, as it is us, of course.
"I just didn’t want one of those horrible FA Cup draws that everybody else loves, that the FA Cup loves, that the BBC loves. One of those where they think there’s going to be a shock. If there’s going to be a shock it’s going to be us that beats Southampton.”