Emmanuel Handed Debut at Brentford - Ipswich Town News
Right-back Josh Emmanuel, 17, makes his senior debut as the Blues take on Brentford in their season opener at Griffin Park. Jonas Knudsen, Ryan Fraser and Ainsley Maitland-Niles all make their Town debuts.
Dane Knudsen lines up at left-back with skipper Luke Chambers joining Tommy Smith in the centre of the defence with Christophe Berra banned for one game for his play-off red card at the end of last season. Jonny Parr is out with a thigh injury, while Teddy Bishop has also picked up a knock.
Fraser will be on the left and Maitland-Niles on the right with Kevin Bru joining Cole Skuse in the centre.
Freddie Sears starts up front alongside Daryl Murphy with David McGoldrick and Brett Pitman on the bench.
Brentford: Button, McCormack, Dean, Tarkowkski, Bidwell, Diagouraga, Kerschbaumer, Gogia, Jota, Judge, Hofmann. Subs: Bonham, Bjelland, Gray, Vibe, O'Connell, Yennaris, Barbet.
Town: Bialkowski, Emmanuel, Chambers (c), Smith, Knudsen, Skuse, Bru, Fraser, Maitland-Niles, Sears, Murphy. Subs: Gerken, Yorwerth, Coke, Douglas, Touré, Pitman, McGoldrick. Referee: David Coote (Nottinghamshire).
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EFL Statement on AbandonmentThe EFL has issued a statement relating to yesterday’s abandoned Championship game between the Blackburn Rovers and the Blues at Ewood Park.
McKenna: An Inevitable DecisionTown boss Kieran McKenna says it was an ‘inevitable decision’ for referee Stephen Martin to abandon the Blues’ match at Blackburn Rovers and expects to return to Ewood Park to restage the contest.
Blackburn Rovers 1-0 Ipswich Town - Match AbandonedTown look set to face a return trip to Blackburn Rovers later in the season after this afternoon’s game was abandoned after 80 minutes due to a waterlogged pitch with the home side 1-0 up and with the Blues down to 10 men. Jacob Greaves was shown a straight red card four minutes after the break for hauling down Yuki Ohashi, then Rovers skipper Todd Cantwell netted a penalty on 59, but the heavy rain had made the game increasingly farcical the longer it progressed and in the 80th minute referee Stephen Martin took the players off and then 25 minutes later abandoned it entirely.