Strike trio Will Keane, James Norwood and Kayden Jackson all start for the Blues as they take on fifth-placed Bristol Rovers at Portman Road.
Tomas Holy keeps his place in goal with Cole Skuse skippering in the back four with Luke Chambers still out with his neck injury.
The veteran Bristolian, who was with Rovers as a schoolboy, appears set to start at centre-half alongside James Wilson with Luke Woolfenden likely to move out to right-back and Luke Garbutt on the left.
Lambert, who makes six changes from the team which started Tuesday’s FA Cup defeat to Coventry, returns to the midfield three which impressed in the first half at Coventry last Saturday, Andre Dozzell, Flynn Downes and Jon Nolan.
Up front, Keane will be down the middle, perhaps alongside Jackson with Norwood behind them.
Teddy Bishop and Freddie Sears were among those who warmed up on the pitch beforehand as they continue their recoveries from injury but aren’t included in the 18.
The Pirates are without 10-goal star striker Jonson Clarke-Harris and full-back Mark Little along with suspended midfielder Abu Ogogo. Former Blue Ed Upson starts in the midfield.
Town: Holy, Skuse, Wilson, Woolfenden, Garbutt, Nolan, Downes, Dozzell, Jackson, Norwood, Keane. Subs: Norris, Judge, Nsiala, Kenlock, Dobra, Georgiou, Huws.
Bristol Rovers: Jaakkola, Craig, Upson, Sercombe, Clarke, Nichols, Leahy, Kilgour, Smith, Menayese, Rodman. Subs: Van Stappershoef, Kelly, Tomlinson, Adeboyejo, Hoole, Hargreaves, Phillips. Referee: James Adcock (Nottinghamshire).