The Season So Far
The Blues are just seven points away from the play-off places with six games to go this season. A run of fine form in the wintery months of November and December saw them climb up the Championship, but recent results have stalled their slow rise up the table. Two goalless draws against Charlton Athletic and Wolverhampton Wanderers disappointed the coaching staff, as Derby County accelerated into sixth place and Cardiff City snatched seventh spot.
Three draws, three wins and four defeats - their recent form - sums up their season. A few victories puts them in a good position to spring up the league table but rocky patches see them slowly slide back down. Portman Road has been their saviour so far in 2016, as the team have won half of the games played there since the turn of the New Year. Away from home, they have failed to win at all in their last nine.
Major departures over the summer included the release of Darren Ambrose, Frank Nouble, Stephen Hunt and Frederic Veseli. Tyrone Mings brought in the biggest transfer fee, leaving for AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League. They used some of the money to bring in midfielder Jonathan Douglas, who left Griffin Park after four seasons in red and white stripes.
More additions arrived on loan in January; Liam Feeney from Bolton Wanderers, Ben Pringle from Rotherham United and Paul Digby from Barnsley. One further signing was made permanent in the form of Kevin Foley from FC Copenhagen, who had only joined the Danish league last year.
Three notable players left the club in the same transfer window. Jonathan Parr, formerly of Crystal Palace, returned to his native home of Norway to play for Stromsgodset, James Alabi was signed by Chester and Alex Henshall was loaned to Kilmarnock.
The Gaffer
Mick McCarthy was appointed manager of The Tractor Boys in November 2012, taking over from Paul Jewell and saving the club from relegation. With long-term assistant coach Terry Connor, he guided the team to ninth place the following season. In 2014 they signed new contracts after taking the squad to the play-offs for the first time in a decade, losing to Norwich City in the semi-finals.
A former defender, the 57-year-old made appearances for Barnsley, Manchester City and Celtic in his playing days. He earned 57 caps for the Republic of Ireland before going on to manage them for six years, taking them to the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea.
The Match Officials
Referee: Philip Gibbs
Assistant Referees: Mark Pottage and Ryan Atkin
Fourth Official: Trevor Kettle
Ticket news
Tickets have now gone on general sale and can be purchased online here. Tickets bought online/in person/over the phone can be collected from us up until 2pm today (Friday) or on match day from the Ticket Enquiry Centre located next to the away fans turnstiles in Portman Road, from 1.30pm on Saturday.
Tickets can be bought on the day, cash only turnstiles, number 10 and 11 located in Portman Road, from 1.30pm on Saturday.
Match Day Travel
Portman Road Stadium stands along the River Orwell in the centre of Ipswich, immediately opposite Ipswich Train Station. Routes out of London are experiencing severe disruption this weekend, with several diversions and rail replacement buses in operation. By road, a journey around the M25 followed by a quick trip up the A12 is the easiest way towards the town centre. At the junction for the A14, it should take 15 minutes to reach the Stadium. There is no official stadium car park but there are plenty of places that offer match day spaces nearby. Coaches will usually drop their passengers in the West End Road car park, a short walk from The Station Hotel - the official away suppporters pub.
Bees Player
You can hear live match commentary on Bees Player from 2.30pm tomorrow afternoon, with Billy Reeves and Mark Chapman.