Town manager Roy Keane is expecting a tricky game at Derby County on Monday with the Rams having one of the best home records in the division (KO 3pm). The Blues could leap to 11th place if they manage to repeat last season’s victory at Pride Park.

Keane says the Rams are up with the best in the division on their own patch: “Derby’s home record isn’t far behind the likes of Newcastle and Forest.”

The Blues boss is unlikely to make too many changes to his side unless he feels that one or two of his squad are feeling the pace after the recent run of two games almost every week or if anyone picked up a knock on Saturday.

Brian Murphy is set to stay in goal with Jaime Peters likely to keep Shane O’Connor out of the side at left-back after another fine performance against Reading. Damien Delaney and Gareth McAuley will continue in the centre with David Wright unlikely to lose his place to Liam Rosenior on the right.

In midfield, Keane will probably stick with Grant Leadbitter and David Norris in the centre with skipper Jon Walters on the right and Jack Colback on the left.

Connor Wickham could be in with a chance of a start alongside Daryl Murphy after an impressive second half against the Royals. Alternatively, Keane might rest the Republic of Ireland international and start Wickham alongside either David Healy or Pablo Couñago or pair the Northern Irishman or Spaniard with Murphy.

Midfielder Luciano Civelli remains Town’s only long-term injury with the Argentinian expected to return in pre-season.

Rams boss Nigel Clough says his side, who are currently level on points with 14th-placed Town but behind on goal difference, need one more victory to ensure their Championship status for next season: "Every effort we have will be going into Monday's game against Ipswich to get the win which we hope will wrap up Championship survival.

"We hope we can do it for the fans, and with another big crowd behind us on Monday we really want to get the job done.

"From there, we want to kick on in the remaining games and not rest on our laurels. We want to go into the summer giving everyone a degree of optimism."

Clough says he has one or two injury concerns for the Town match: "Michael Tonge has a slight calf injury so we will assess him to see how he is.

"Dean Leacock is a doubt now for Monday, so if he isn't fit Nicky Hunt will play again."

Midfielder Kris Commons is out with a hamstring injury, while defender Miles Addison is a long-term casualty with a foot problem.

The Rams have won their last two games and are unbeaten in their last five league matches.

Historically, Town have had the better of Derby, winning 28 games (26 in the league), drawing 18 (16) and losing 22 (21).

The Blues finally got their first victory of the season against the Rams at Portman Road at the 15th attempt in October, full-back David Wright netting the only goal of the game in the 66th minute.

Last season, Town did the double over Derby, goals from Pablo Couñago and Jon Walters securing a 2-0 win at home and another Walters strike bringing a 1-0 win at Pride Park later in the season.

Town striker Jon Stead, currently seeing out the season with Coventry, had a spell on loan with Derby during his time as a Sunderland player, with the Rams also making an enquiry regarding his availability early this season. Kevin Lisbie, on loan at Colchester, has also spent time on loan at Pride Park.

Former Town keeper Lewis Price is a current Derby player, but is on loan at Brentford, while Jay McEveley was on loan with the Blues in 2005/06 and Stephen Bywater was at Portman Road for a similar spell in 2007/08.

Managers Roy Keane and Nigel Clough were at Nottingham Forest together under the Derby manager’s father, as was Town coach Tony Loughlan.

Monday’s referee is Jonathan Moss from West Yorkshire, who has shown 104 yellow and seven red cards in 31 games so far this season. His most recent Town match was the 2-0 defeat at Preston in January when he booked six players, including five Blues: Owen Garvan, Grant Leadbitter, Gareth McAuley, Liam Rosenior and David Norris.

Squad from: B Murphy, Lee-Barrett, R Wright, D Wright, Rosenior, O’Connor, Peters, Delaney, McAuley, Smith, Leadbitter, Norris, Colback, Garvan, Walters, Edwards, Martin, D Murphy, Couñago, Healy, Wickham.

Photo: Action Images

bluelass7 added 13:40 - Apr 4 Bring Priskin back and let him start all the games til the end of the season. Then RK should know whether to keep or get rid..
0

matt_the_blue added 13:42 - Apr 4 pedantic moment - Sheff U are currently 10th and 4 points ahead of us so wouldn't we leap to 11th if we win tomorrow?
0

Blueknight85 added 14:08 - Apr 4 i dont imagine priskin can be called back but i just saw some good highlights of him from yesterday on the footbal league show i would like walters upfront with murphy allowing peters to play on the right and O'connor back at left back i might prefer Walters in midfield to upfront but for the sake of the team id like a wider winger with pace and Peters is the only one we have playing well you cant leave Collback,Leadbitter or Norris out and no other striker set's the world alight along side Murphy and i like O'connor at left back. Having said that this would be my ideal team ... but as far as Monday goes after only a days rest i can see David Wright maybe being rested for Liam Rossenior to come in and there will be a change to who starts upfront with Murphy and that will be any ones guess i doubt Wickham will start having already played 3 games in a week is it (2 -1/2 if you want to be awkward) peters may get rested completely for O'conner and maybe just a little shock with one of the midfielder's being rested which the moaners who think evry players is a robot will have a field day with

0

dirtydingusmagee added 14:17 - Apr 4 rest R2 D2,AND K9 your avin a larf keane out !
0

PhilTWTD added 14:20 - Apr 4 matt_the_blue Oops, miscounted positions, 11th as you say. Amended.
0

KeanoBlindFaith added 15:43 - Apr 4 'ello fans.
0

jamesy_itfc_keano added 17:41 - Apr 4 matt_the_blue, yeh we can go up to 11th tomorrow with a win! KEANO!!!
0

halliday05 added 18:04 - Apr 4 Did u see sky sports on sat chris kamara so funny!
0

tractorboybig added 18:23 - Apr 4 leap to 11th? YER having a laugh. Still it may well keep us up.
0

MAVERICK added 18:40 - Apr 4 'ello, KeanoBlindFaith, FUNNY !
0

ollyfayers added 19:24 - Apr 4 Let's hope the Blues knock the stuffing out of them tomorrow, and when the stuffing's been knocked out, we can knock out whatever is left. Prediction: 9-4 Ipswich!
0

dirtydingusmagee added 20:06 - Apr 4 looks like Keano may end up ''half decent manager'' after all ,hands up dingus !
0

dirtydingusmagee added 20:22 - Apr 4 before Plymouth match i thought we'd finish with 55 points, may get em yet . coyb
0

KeanoBlindFaith added 20:35 - Apr 4 'ello fans. Me and Tony may get a nosebleed being as high up in the table. Anyway, Keano fans - this result has blinded you for a bit longer and papered over hugh cracks in a otherwise dreadful season !!!!!
0

jamie22 added 20:44 - Apr 4 I would like to see Garvan as usual but Norris, even though he makes some dodgey decisions had an alright game, so would be unfair to drop him. But the change I would like is Healy for Pablo!
0

dirtydingusmagee added 21:16 - Apr 4 im not a betting man but what odds we win all remaining games, England win World Cup. First match of new season is against scummers and we win 6- 0 ,Keane stays on and we get relegated ! Benny it must be worth a punt !
0

alfromcol added 21:32 - Apr 4 Just a reminder End of season predictions of Town's league position ahead of the match today (27 February): 21 predictions with 14th position being the most popular. The position that Town are currently in. superblueflude 5th Me at 6th, bedsitfc 8th rockstar1981 9th, jabberjackson 10th brockleyblueboy 10th, ITGIRL 11th keanoITFC09 12th benny blue 12th tractorboy 14th cbower 14th (55 points) N4blue 14th DazzaITFC 14th waters2908 14th naa 15th, mightytown 16th kentblue 17th portman blue 18th ipswich1992 18th, dirtydingusmagee 19th italiano 22nd

0

ITFC_james added 21:48 - Apr 4 don't feel walters is a good wide man anymore, he was when he first came but now no where near what we expect. On saturday get coming in field almost a RM instead of RW, we miss Haynes out on the right with pace a strength. Possibly Lee Martin or give Edwards another shot.
0

Blueknight85 added 21:59 - Apr 4 Garvan is not good enough to be a regualr starter and you seem to have it the wrong way round garvan is the one who makes mistakes all the time regardless of his sexy passing
0

naaridge1coly7 added 23:26 - Apr 4 predictions for 5th and 6th,what a joke,and you send a reminder,dont know how you dare post on here you mug.
0

bennyblue added 23:46 - Apr 4 not a bad combo bet there magee exept for england winning world cup unless your talking about darts id keep that leg of the bet out
0

campowasgod added 23:51 - Apr 4 Wickham and Pabs/Walters up front please. Murphy looked even slower on Saturday - two games in 2 days , he may start running backwards.
0

bennyblue added 23:54 - Apr 4 19-1 for two all draw i see theres been plenty of goals at derby this year could be worth 20...oh and doesnt roy talk crap derby have lost 7 at home this year town 3 so how have derby got one of the best home records
0

TownLad added 00:25 - Apr 5 1-0 win for town, just like the game at home this year, both teams will fail to create many clear cut chances but town will manage to take one. I doubt a pretty game, more of a scrap with boths sides getting booked alot with probebly another "mediocre" championship ref which we all know are hardly the best we have seen.
0

bennyblue added 05:59 - Apr 5 high scoring entertaining game at last2-2 or town to sneak it 3-2
0

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls