Town boss Mick McCarthy believes the much-changed team he has already confirmed for Saturday’s FA Cup third round tie against Portsmouth at Portman Road should be well capable of taking the Blues into the fourth round for the first time under his management.
McCarthy has made seven changes to the side which drew 0-0 at Burnley last week, naming an XI in a 4-4-2 formation with Bartosz Bialkowski in goal, skipper Luke Chambers at right-back, Jonas Knudsen at left-back and debutant loanee Paul Digby alongside Piotr Malarczyk at the heart of the defence.
In midfield, Cole Skuse will be partnered by Luke Hyam in the centre with Tommy Oar on the left and Ainsley Maitland-Niles on the right with Brett Pitman and former Pompey man Luke Varney up front.
While not full strength, McCarthy insists it’s by no means a weak or a reserve team he is fielding against the League Two side as the Blues look to progress beyond the third round for the first time since a 2-1 win at Blackpool in January 2010 during Roy Keane’s time in charge. In the fourth round they lost 3-1 to Southampton, who also defeated the Blues 1-0 after a replay in the third round last year.
"Brett Pitman’s played most of the games, Reg has been on the bench, Ainsley’s played most of the games, Tommy Oar’s been in the squad all season,” McCarthy said.
"Luke Hyam played Saturday, Skusey played Saturday, so did both full-backs. Bart, if I listened to everybody, should never have been out of the team anyway!
"So that’s a pretty good goalkeeper and then I’ve got Piotr Malarczyk, who has been in the squad all season, and really there’s only Diggers, Paul Digby, that’s come in on loan I think it’s a very good team.”
The Town boss says Digby, 20, has done well since he has been training at Playford Road and he has no qualms about playing the on-loan Barnsley man at the centre of the defence, despite most of his football with the Tykes having been in the middle of midfield.
"He’s impressed me, he’s fitted in fine,” the Town boss added. "He’s trained with Peter [Malarczyk] last week and this week and I think they’ve done really well together, so I’m looking forward to seeing him.
"He’s played at centre-half before for Barnsley and ever since he’s come in here he’s played there, he’s trained there, and he’s impressed everybody. We’ll see how he does and I’m very hopeful.”
The Blues manager says it’s sensible for him to be leaving out some of his regulars, several of whom have played virtually every game, while there are others who are coming back from injury.
"I’ve rested some, I’ve not got Freddie [Sears] in but Freddie’s played just about every minute of every game, and Ryan Fraser’s come back after four months out and played regularly,” he continued.
"It’s a bit of common sense in that, he suddenly comes back after four months out and you can’t just whip him to a standstill, that’s just stupid.
"Freddie’s really been the star of the show, I think, in terms of his playing right from the very start until now, and we’ve got others like Tommy Oar, who has impressed everybody now that he’s got to the pace of the game. Ainsley’s been a really good signing for us.
"We’ve got players who have played, who are raring to go and out to give me a problem. And at least when I’m looking to do it the next time I know exactly what I can do.”
He says Portsmouth have been watched on plenty of occasions this season with Town having kept a close eye on defender Matt Clarke while he has been on loan at Fratton Park.
"[U21s coach] Mark Kennedy’s seen them lots, just going down to watch Clarkey play. And other scouts as well, Taff [scout Ian Evans] has also been down and watched them. We’ve just sat and watched two or three games this week.
"They’re a good side, a really good footballing team. [Manager] Paul Cook had a similar side at Chesterfield.
"The centre-halves even rampage from the back and he likes to play an attacking brand of football and wherever he’s been he’s had a bit of success, Paul Cook.
"He’s got a good side, a blend of some youth and some experience and I think, like me, he’s got a couple of problems, but I’ve already seen that he’s sending as strong a team as he can, which I would expect, and they’ve got a good crowd coming, so it should be a good cup tie.”
McCarthy is hoping his side get the job done on the day as he doesn’t want a replay at Fratton Park in 10 days’ time.
"No I don’t, you might see a weakened team there if that’s the case!” he admitted. "Of course I’d like to win it and I just don’t need an extra game.
"That’s not in my thoughts, the team which is playing tomorrow is capable of winning that game.”
Striker Daryl Murphy won't be on the bench having suffered a calf problem, although McCarthy is hopeful that the Irishman will be fit for Tuesday's Championship game against Leeds.
Midfielder Kevin Bru is also unlikely to play any part having felt his hamstring after the Burnley match.
Full-back Jonny Parr also looks set to miss out as he closes in on a move back to Norway with talks having been ongoing between the Blues and Strømsgodset.
Pompey manager Cook says the League Two side won’t come to Portman Road simply to sit back and defend.
"Ipswich are not really doing much in the Championship at the moment are they!” he joked when speaking to Pompey’s official website.
"Mick McCarthy put together a side that reached the play-offs last season and they’re in the top six again at the moment.
"You underestimate Ipswich at your peril and it’s certainly not something that we’re going to do. We would never dream of that.
"But we’re not going there to get men behind the ball and park the bus — we’ll look to enjoy ourselves.
"We’ll go there and do our best because it’s a fantastic cup competition that we take seriously.
"We can’t get away from the fact that the League Two campaign is our priority this season, but it would be great if we could get through.
"If we do that then it will be exciting for our fans, if we get a draw then we’ll look forward to a replay at Fratton Park and if we go out then we’ll wish Ipswich well and move on.”
Portsmouth skipper Michael Doyle will be rested as he has been playing with a knee problem in recent weeks, while on-loan Blues central defender Matt Clarke is ineligible against his parent club. Christian Burgess, also a centre-half, remains sidelined with an ankle injury.
Former Blues academy and reserves striker Caolan Lavery has not been given permission to play in the FA Cup by his parent club Sheffield Wednesday.
The teams have met in the competition on two previous occasions, both within the last 10 years on Suffolk soil when Portsmouth were in the Premier League.
The Blues last played Pompey at the third round stage in 2007/08 when the visitors - who went on to carry off the trophy that season after beating Cardiff 1-0 in the final - won 1-0 via a David Nugent goal, Liam Trotter having been controversially sent off in the first half.
Pompey also visited Portman Road at the same point in the competition two years prior to that when a Dario Silva goal saw the Hampshire club to another 1-0 victory.
The teams most recently met in the Championship in the 2011/12 campaign when Town won both games 1-0, Keith Andrews netting the goal at home and Michael Chopra at Fratton Park.
Historically, the Blues have won 19 games between the two clubs (18 in the league, one in the League Cup), 11 have been draws (11) and Pompey have won 11 (nine in the league plus the two FA Cup ties).
PORTSMOUTH- A reminder this is ALL TICKET with NO turnstile sales. Tickets available in store until 1.30pm tomorrow & Print at Home until KO– ITFC_PlanetBlue (@ITFC_PlanetBlue) January 8, 2016
Town striker Luke Varney was with Portsmouth between July 2011 and July 2012 and made 29 starts and two sub appearances, scoring twice.
Defender Matt Clarke is on loan at Fratton Park until the end of the season but the 19-year-old is ineligible against his parent club.
The Pompey squad also includes ex-Blues Brian Murphy and Gary Roberts, while former academy striker Caolan Lavery is on loan from Sheffield Wednesday.
Portsmouth beat Macclesfield 2-1 at home in round one and Accrington Stanley 1-0 in the second round, also at Fratton Park.
Town are expecting a crowd in excess of 15,000 for the match, which is all-ticket.
Saturday’s referee is David Coote from Nottinghamshire, who has shown 60 yellow cards and two red in 15 games so far this season.
Coote’s most recent Town match was the 0-0 home draw with Cardiff in October in which he booked eight players, Tommy Smith, Cole Skuse and Kevin Bru as well as five of the visitors.
Prior to that he was in charge of the 2-2 draw with Brentford on the opening day when he booked only Bees' midfielder Jota.
Coote was also in control for the 3-1 defeat at Cardiff in October 2014 in which he booked Tyrone Mings and two home players.
Prior to that he was in charge of the 2-1 defeat t Reading on the opening day of the 2013/14 season and the 3-1 home loss to Wigan later that campaign.
During the season prior to that he took control of the 2-1 defeat at Hull and the 3-0 home victory over Millwall.
Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Malarczyk, Digby, Knudsen, Skuse, Hyam, Maitland-Niles, Oar, Pitman, Varney. Subs from: Gerken, Emmanuel, Kenlock, Smith, Berra, Coke, Douglas, Tabb, McDonnell, Fraser, Sears, Alabi.