Town’s game against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park remains 0-0 at half-time.

Julio Enciso, Kalvin Phillips and Luke Woolfenden started as manager Kieran McKenna made three changes to his Town side, which lined up in their all-pink third kit.

Enciso, on loan from Palace's rivals Brighton, was from the knee injury he sustained at Aston Villa almost a month ago and was in the centre of the three behind striker Liam Delap with Jaden Philogene on the right and Jack Clarke on the left.

Phillips was in central midfield alongside Jens Cajuste with Sam Morsy, who played 120 minutes at Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup on Monday, on the bench, the on-loan Manchester City man having recovered from his calf problem.

Woolfenden, making his 200th Town start on the same ground where he made his first back in August 2017 in the Carabao Cup, was at the centre of the defence alongside Jacob Greaves with Dara O’Shea skippering at right-back and Leif Davis at left-back.

Alex Palmer continued in goal, one of only two survivors from the FA Cup tie at the City Ground, along with Woolfenden.

Omari Hutchinson was on the bench having hurt his knee at Manchester United, while Axel Tuanzebe, who was also in the XI that night, was absent having suffered a hamstring injury at Forest.

Christian Walton was back on the bench after his groin problem, while Cameron Burgess was also in the 20 having been subbed at Forest with a calf injury.

For Palace, Jean-Philippe Mateta was absent following the horror challenge in the FA Cup game against Millwall last week after which he required 25 stitches to his ear and midfielder Will Hughes was suspended having reached 10 bookings.

Eddie Nketiah and Jefferson Lerma replaced them in a team otherwise unchanged from the 4-1 league victory over Aston Villa a fortnight ago.

With England boss Thomas Tuchel among those watching, having also been at the City Ground on Monday, Nketiah had a chance to put the home side in front in the second minute.

Adam Wharton played a pass between Woolfenden and O’Shea, sending the former Arsenal man through one-on-one with Palmer, but the Town keeper was off his line quickly to block.

A minute later, Davis was put away in space on the Town left and cut a cross behind Delap but Philogene breaking inside from the right was able to hit a low left-foot effort, which Dean Henderson saved well down to his left, although the ex-Villa man may feel he should have made a stronger contact.

Despite the early Eagles chance, the Blues had started brightly and on the front foot. and on five Delap brought the ball forward down the middle but hit his shot deep into the Holmesdale End.

Palace began to see most of the ball but with Town also having spells of possession, while also causing the Eagles backline problems with their pressing. On 15, Lerma struck a low shot wide of Palmer’s right post.

A minute later, Greaves and Ismaila Sarr chased a long ball down the middle from the back, which bounced through to Palmer. As it did so, Sarr went to ground as Greaves tugged at him and referee Simon Hooper booked the Town defender, who was clearly very unhappy with the decision. VAR gave the incident a check before confirming a yellow rather than red card.

Eberechi Eze’s free-kick slammed into the wall and ricocheted through to Palmer ahead of a number of Palace players waiting to pounce.

On 19, Nketiah played in Eze to the left of O’Shea, but the alert Greaves slid in to make a vital block.

The home side had started to look dominant but following a 23rd-minute Davis run down the left, the Blues subsequently pinned the Eagles back in their half for a spell during which, following a long throw from Cajuste from the left, Enciso tricked his way into the area on the right and hit a shot from an angle which Henderson did well to palm over.

Town kept up the pressure and from a corner on the left, the ball was half-cleared to Clarke, whose well-struck volley was blocked.

The game was held up in the 37th minute after Davis required treatment having landed awkwardly following an aerial challenge. However, the ex-Leeds man was OK to continue.

In the 42nd minute, Delap took the ball round the outside of Daniel Munoz inside the box on the left but allowed it to run out of play before he could cross.

A minute later, with Palace going through a scruffy spell with passes going astray or out of play, much to their fans’ frustration, Sarr crossed from the right and Nketiah reached the ball ahead of Palmer but diverted it behind.

That was the last action of a not overly enthralling half in which there had been little between the teams, like the corresponding fixture at Portman Road.

Nketiah’s early chance was the best opportunity of the half with Palmer reading it well, while Philogene might have done better with his effort soon afterwards and Enciso forced Henderson into a sharp save later on in the half.

Overall, Blues boss McKenna will have been pleased with the half with his side well in the game.

Crystal Palace: Henderson, Munoz, Richards, Lacroix, Guehi (c), Mitchell, Wharton, Lerma, Sarr, Eze, Nketiah. Subs: Turner, Franca, Clyne, Kamada, Esse, Chilwell, Rodney, Devenny, Kporha.

Town: Palmer, O’Shea (c), Woolfenden, Greaves, Davis, Phillips, Cajuste, Philogene, Enciso, Clarke, Delap. Subs: Walton, Johnson, Broadhead, Burgess, Townsend, Hutchinson, Morsy, Taylor, Hirst. Referee: Simon Hooper (Wiltshire). VAR official: Paul Tierney.

Photo: Matchday Images

Ipswich Town Polls