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No Smith in Town Side Facing Blades - Ipswich Town News

As expected, Tommy Smith is not included in a Town side featuring six changes facing Sheffield United in the third round of the FA Cup at Portman Road this afternoon with the central defender on the verge of a move to MLS side the Colorado Rapids, as TWTD revealed earlier this afternoon.

Jonas Knudsen comes in at centre-half alongside skipper Luke Chambers with Myles Kenlock at left-back and Dominic Iorfa at right-back in what looks likely to be a 4-4-2 system, although one which could also line-up 3-5-2 or 4-3-3.

Luke Hyam makes his first start for 19 months in the middle of midfield alongside Callum Connolly with Bersant Celina on the left and Kevin Bru on the right with David McGoldrick and Freddie Sears up front.

New signing Aaron Drinan is on the bench alongside young defender Pat Webber and midfielder or striker Shane McLoughlin, whose only senior appearances for the Blues came at Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup earlier in the season.

The Blades make eight changes with former Town academy striker Caolan Lavery up front with skipper Billy Sharp, a regular Blues target over the years.

Town: Bialkowski, Iorfa, Chambers (c), Knudsen, Kenlock, Connolly, Hyam, Bru, Celina, Sears, McGoldrick. Subs: M Crowe, Skuse, Waghorn, Garner, Drinan, Webber, McLoughlin.

Sheffield United: Blackman, Baldock, Basham, Thomas, Sharp (c), Wright, Carter-Vickers, Stearman, Lavery, Lafferty, Carruthers. Subs: Moore, Stevens, Fleck, O’Connell, Donaldson, Slater, Norrington-Davies. Referee: Mike Jones (Cheshire).

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