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Both Ipswich and Coventry will look to get their Championship campaigns properly underway after stuttering starts when the two sides meet at Portman Road on Monday night.
Paul Jewell’s Ipswich side have endured a disastrous start to the season and have the second worst defensive record in the league, largely thatnks to 1 7-1 hammering at the hands of Portsmouth last month, while Coventry have fared even worse and sit in 20th, one place behind the Trotters.
There was some good news for Jewell ahead of the clash on Monday night, with both Ivar Ingimarsson and Mark Kennedy in line to return to action having recovered from injury.
The former Wigan boss will be delighted to have Ingamarsson in particular back in his side having been without the key centre for all six of Ipswich’s Championship games this season.
Kennedy, along with Ingamarsson, also missed the 2-0 defeat at the hands of Blackpool last weekend at Bloomfield Road and will likely find his way back into the side having shaken off a calf problem.
Ibrahima Sonko and Lee Bowyer have also suffered injuries of late and were doubts for the game against the Seasiders but came through safely and should be fit to start having suffered no ill effects of their run out last week.
Nathan Ellington may find his way into the starting 11 for the Suffolk-based outfit after bagging a hat-trick in a reserve game against Gillingham during the week, and will compete with Jason Scotland, who grabbed the winner against Leeds two weeks ago for a starting berth.
One man who won’t be in the starting line-up is striker Tamas Priskin, who has been told he can leave the club after falling out with the Ipswich boss.
The Hungarian striker revealed he was in Jewell’s “bad books” and will seek out another club when his deal expires next summer.
Coventry meanwhile will have to wait upon the fitness of Joe Murphy, who will undergo a late fitness test after the keeper was forced off the pitch in the Sky Blues 2-0 victory over Derby last Saturday.
Manager Andy Thorn has had to endure difficult working conditions this summer but will be able to choose from a pool of 21 players for the game against Ipswich – the most he has had all season with Gary McSheffrey, Clive Platt and Freddy Eastwood all available for selection, while midfielder Gary Deegan and defender Richard Wood are still in the process of recovering from thigh injuries.
Correct Score
Coventry are the second lowest scorers in the Championship having only found the net four times in their six games so far this season, while Ipswich have one of the leakiest defences in the league but have found the net a respectable eight times.
It will come as no surprise that the 1-1 draw is the most favoured result at 6.50 (11/2) @ Paddy Power, while odds of 8.00 (7/1) Bet365 also represents good value, but it may well be wise to back a score draw given the strengths and weaknesses of both sides – @ SkyBet are offering 15.00 (14/1) on a 2-2 result.
First Goalscorer
It perhaps says a lot about the ability of both sides ability to pose a threat given that Michael Chopra, who hasn’t scored in over a month, is the favourite to open the scoring at 6.00 (5/1) @ SkyBet.
Jason Scotland will go into the game still confident of scoring after finding the net against Leeds, but it may be a shrewd move to back two midfielders who have been known to score a goal or two, Lee Bowyer and Jimmy Bullard who are 15.00 (14/1) and 11.00 (10/1) @ StanJames and @ Paddy Power respectively.
Recommended bets
Correct score: 1-1 – 6.50 (11/2) @ Paddy Power
Lee Bowyer to score first: 15.00 (14/1) @ StanJames
