Town host Premier League Crystal Palace at Portman Road on Saturday as fans return for the first of two home pre-season friendlies (KO 3pm).

The Blues have played two pre-season games so far, the 1-0 win at Dartford and the 2-1 loss at Fulham last Saturday. A match against Stevenage at Needham on Tuesday was postponed due to Covid issues at the League Two club.

Against the Eagles, the Blues’ first-team players are likely to increase their involvement with Town having two further friendlies - at Colchester on Tuesday and at home to Millwall next Saturday - following this weekend’s game.

The Town squad trained at Portman Road on Friday with the players involved in that session - a mix of seniors and youngsters - presumably indicating who will be in the squad on Saturday.

Recent signings Joe Pigott and Scott Fraser could make their first appearances in Town shirts, while the other summer additions - Wes Burns, Rekeem Harper, Matt Penney, Vaclav Hladky, Macauley Bonne and Lee Evans - could make their first appearances for Town at Portman Road, although Evans has been a notable absentee from training photos this week and appears to have picked up a minor knock with no chances taken with players during pre-season.

Kane Vincent-Young could make his first friendly appearance having returned to training after undergoing shoulder injury at the end of 2020/21, while the game may come too soon for Jon Nolan, who picked up a calf problem early in pre-season having missed the end of the last campaign with a knee injury.

Palace won their first pre-season friendly 1-0 at Walsall last Saturday with Wilfried Zaha netting the goal.

Like Town, new Eagles manager Patrick Vieira fielded a side which was a mix of senior players and academy prospects against the Saddlers and it seems likely they’ll take a similar approach at Portman Road. Palace fielded a 4-3-3 system at the Bescot Stadium.

The Blues are anticipating a crowd in excess of 6,000 with most fans back at Portman Road for the first time since February 2020.

Last season’s games, aside from two watched by 2,000 midway through the campaign, were played behind closed doors.

Photo: ITFC

bluesteel added 09:34 - Jul 24 if the new owners think they can get a different outcome without spending more than marcus evans they're wrong if cook thinks he can play any of the outcast 4 this season he should be the one leaving
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Bazza8564 added 09:42 - Jul 24 Hold your nerve all, plenty of time to sign quality players in yet. Herman Hreidarrson signed the day before the first game of a premier league season and went straight in to the side under Burley. Make no mistake, we still need signings (read the EADT online and Andy Warren (who will be well connected yet discreet) says “there will be more”, but equally we have added 8 players of first team quality already. We have Norwood, Toto, Woofly, KVY, Nolan, Dobra and others to add to that 8 so you have to ask yourself, acknowledging its nowhere near ideal nor finished, is our first 11 available today better or worse than a year ago? Better all day long for me….

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Linkboy13 added 10:02 - Jul 24 Much tougher test today. Will be fascinated to see how young Chirewa does against quality opposition if he is involved. If he scores again might not be here at the start of the season. In view of Palace's so called interest in Downes might be a good idea to give him a extended run out today.
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mathiemagic added 11:26 - Jul 24 Palace TV does have the game live but you have to subscribe to a pre-season bundle but its a one off £15 so not that bad considering all the new Town players that will be on show. Good news for those of us not able to get to PR.
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Monkey_Blue added 11:28 - Jul 24 Bazza8564. The difference between signing Herman so late and now is that he was coming into a settled side and squad. If we sign another 3 or 4 players not only is that a lot of new players to integrate into a functioning team, law of averages says a chunk of the dozen players won't work out as envisaged. Even the very best managers don't get it right on signings. I think Cook was overly aggressive in his culling and the “outcasts” should be training with the first team squad.

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afcfee added 13:43 - Jul 24 Shame about the track and trace rubbish probably why only 8k not risking kids summer holidays
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ringwoodblue added 14:36 - Jul 24 Clearly our offer to Needham Market to sign Jackson has been rejected as he's in today's squad.
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