Manager Paul Hurst has confirmed that Emyr Huws, Teddy Bishop, Danny Rowe, Josh Emmanuel and Ben Morris will all be in a strong Blues U23s side taking on Hull City at Portman Road this evening (KO 7pm).
The team coached by Gerard Nash and Chris Hogg will be looking for their first win of the season having been beaten 3-2 away by Sheffield United in their opening fixture.
Hurst confirmed that Huws, who is continuing his comeback after his knee injury, and Bishop and Rowe, who came on as subs at Exeter last week, would be involved, but Andre Dozzell won’t be included this evening. "Josh Emmanuel will be in the line-up as well, Harry Wright will be in goal, so we’ve got a strong line-up. Ben Morris will start up front,” he added.
"I don’t know, it depends where we are in the season, if I feel people need minutes [they’ll play in the U23s].
Town's U23s are in action against @HullCity at Portman Road this evening [kick-off 7pm].
🎟 Prices:
£3 - Adult
£1 - Concession
FREE - ST Holders & Members
We will be broadcasting the game LIVE on the #itfc Facebook page. pic.twitter.com/crq9VHgJQx– Ipswich Town FC (@Official_ITFC) August 20, 2018
"What I would say is that anyone who is asked to play an U23s game, whether they come in that category or not, it won’t be a punishment.
"Playing a game of football should never be a punishment. It’s doing it for the right reasons and sometimes if everyone is fit and we get the squad that I’d like through September, we might see some really strong U23s teams put out.
"But they will have to be judged on that week, how we are fitness-wise, injuries, suspensions, all of those things.
"For me it’s just another game and the players, I’m not saying they are, these lads now, but moving forward, any of the squad need to understand that it wouldn’t be a punishment.
"Or if it ever is for any reason I won’t hide the fact, I’ll just say to them, ‘Look, you’re playing because you haven’t been training well enough’ or whatever it is.
"Hopefully, I’m never at the point where you play a game on the Saturday and then play on a Monday because you basically weren’t good enough which I had as a player, so the manager made us play a reserve game on a Monday.”
Meanwhile, Town’s U18s were beaten 3-1 by Leeds United at Playford Road on Saturday morning.
There's been a late change to Town's starting XI as Teddy Bishop misses out through illness and is replaced by Idris El Mizouni 👇 #itfc https://t.co/aeNOxbQj4j
— Ipswich Town FC (@Official_ITFC) August 20, 2018