Town face Scottish Premiership Aberdeen at Pittodrie in their second public friendly of the summer this evening (KO 7.30pm).
The Blues go into the game having lost 1-0 in a behind-close-doors game with Peterborough and won 4-1 away against Blau Weiß Linz in in Austria last Saturday in their only pre-season match in front of fans so far.
On Tuesday afternoon, they fell to 1-0 and 2-0 defeats to Premier League West Ham in two 60-minute matches at their training ground.
Town, who look set to debut their new home kit, seem likely to give the XI which starts tonight 60 minutes having fielded a different side in each half of Saturday’s friendly against the Austrian Bundesliga side.
New signing Ashley Young and Omari Hutchinson, who was training with the former England international at Playford Road on Thursday following his return after his extended break, haven’t travelled and won’t be involved.
The game, which is being shown live on TownTV will be the first chance for fans to see recent additions Cedric Kipre, who had a spell in Scotland with Motherwell, and Azor Matusiwa in action for the Blues on UK soil.
Winger Chieo Ogbene may play more of a part than he did in Austria as he continues his comeback from his ruptured achilles, the Irish international having come off the bench for the final 12 minutes at the weekend.
Aberdeen will be playing their third friendly of pre-season, following a 4-1 behind-closed-doors loss to Fulham and a 2-0 away win against Scottish League One side Cove Rangers. They open their season proper almost a week before the Blues when they face Hearts at Tynecastle on Monday 4th August.
The Dons, who are managed by Swede Jimmy Thelin, finished fifth in the Scottish Premiership during 2024/25 and won the Scottish Cup, beating Celtic 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw and qualifying for the Europa League as a result.
Aberdeen signed Australia international Kusini Yengi, brother of former Town youngster Tete Yengi, now also in Scotland with Livingston, earlier in the summer.
Other additions include winger Nicolas Milanovic, keeper Nick Suman, midfielders Adil Aouchiche and Kjartan Már Kjartansson, left-back Emmanuel Gyamfi and on-loan Spurs centre-back Alfie Dorrington, who previously spent the second half of last season at Pittodrie.
Blues wideman Wes Burns spent time on loan with the Dons in the first half of 2016/17, making 10 starts and 11 sub appearances, scoring once. However, the Wales international is yet to return to action following his ACL injury.
In addition to Kipre and Burns, Harry Clarke - Ross County and Hibs - and Conor Townsend - Dundee United - also played in Scotland on loan early in their careers.
George Hirst and Cieran Slicker, who is unlikely to be involved as he looks for a loan club, are both current Scotland internationals.
The Blues and Dons, who were in talks regarding a friendly last summer, famously met in the UEFA Cup in 1981/82 when Sir Alex Ferguson’s side defeated Sir Bobby Robson’s Town, then the trophy holders, 4-2 on aggregate in a first round tie.
At Portman Road in the first leg, the sides drew 1-1 with Frans Thijssen on target for Town and John Hewitt for the Scots, then in the second at Pittodrie John Wark netted for the Blues in a 3-1 defeat in which Peter Weir bagged a brace and Gordon Strachan scored the other for the home side.
The teams also faced one another on Suffolk soil in George Burley’s testimonial in pre-season ahead of the 1983/84 season when Bobby Ferguson’s Blues won 3-0, Robin Turner netting twice and Mich d’Avray once.
Town most recently played in Scotland in October 2006 when Jim Magilton took his team to Brechin City, then managed by his friend and current Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill, for a friendly during an international break, the match ending 2-2 with Billy Clarke and Matt Richards on target for the visitors.
The Blues last faced Scottish Premiership opposition during a pre-season camp in La Manga in July 2018 when a Joe Garner goal saw the Blues to a 1-0 victory over Kilmarnock in a behind-closed-doors game.