Fit-again Scott Fraser knows the three games against Oxford, Sunderland and Rotherham, all currently higher in the League One table than ninth-placed Town, could prove a pivotal point in the season.
The 26-year-old midfielder returned to action in Tuesday’s Papa John’s Trophy penalty shootout win over Colchester, the Blues coming out 4-3 on top from the spot following an entertaining 0-0 draw between the sides.
Fraser, who was absent from five games as he recovered from a knee problem, admitted: "Our next three games are huge. We’re only four points off Oxford so going into that game on Saturday, it’s huge, but we just need to look at ourselves and make sure we keep doing what we’re doing.
"We work very hard on the training ground every single day because the quality in our squad allows us to push each other.
"I’m back from injury and there are a few others in the same boat, like Tom Carroll. He’s not far away and when he’s back that’s another very, very good player to add into the squad and increase the competition for places.
"We all push each other to make sure we get the best results every Saturday and Tuesday.”
Fraser turned his attention to his comeback game, adding: "I really enjoyed it. Once you’ve been out through injury for a couple of games you just want to get back in and play in any game you can.
"I thought I played well, plus I thought the team played well overall, and we just lacked the goal we needed, which is the most important part.”
The Scot, signed from Milton Keynes Dons in the summer, formed a two-man central midfield partnership alongside Rekeem Harper, which was a change from where he featured in Paul Cook’s starting line-up prior to his injury.
He said: "I haven’t played too often in a two-man midfield; it has usually been as part of a three-man midfield. But I’ll play wherever the gaffer wants me to play because we have a lot of good players for every position here and there is strength all over the pitch.
"In the role I played on Tuesday the defensive side of the game is a lot more important and I was looking to supply the three in front of me — and behind the striker — so that they could go and attack.
"You are starting attacks more than finishing them, which is probably the part that I’ve done more over the years. It was an opportunity for me to get on the ball and show a different side of my game, and I’m glad I did that.”
Fraser’s versatility should prove beneficial going forward and he continued: "We have a lot of quality and our training sessions are of a very high standard, as you can probably imagine, so to have players who can do a job in different positions all over the pitch can only be of benefit in the long term.
"The standard here at Ipswich is as high as anything I’ve known in my own career; in fact I would say it is the best squad I’ve been part of, in terms of the ability we have in the dressing room.
"We have two or sometimes even three players for every position in the team. Without being too disrespectful to League One, we have players who could walk into teams, not just squads, at this level. It’s definitely the strongest squad I’ve been part of and I’m really enjoying it.”
Town’s shootout win in midweek saw them progress as the second-placed team in the group, which would have meant an away tie in Saturday’s draw. But it emerged on Wednesday that West Ham’s table-topping U21s had fielded an ineligible player and the club not only faced a fine but had also been docked points, meaning Town would progress as group winners with Colchester runners-up.
The ruling means Town will face Chelsea or Arsenal U21s, Charlton or Stevenage in the next round and Fraser added: "When I heard the news it came as a bit of a surprise. We wanted to go out and finish the group off by winning it ourselves but it wasn’t to be so we’ll take that little bit of luck that gives a home draw next.”