Portsmouth v Ipswich Town: What’s been said by Kieran McKenna and Danny Cowley, team news, predicted XI, officials, form guide and key stats

Here are all the key details ahead of kick-off (7.45pm).

What's been said

Kieran McKenna

‘It's about recovering bodies as best we can now during a short space of time.

‘We have had quite a lot of sickness in the camp. We had two very unwell before the Oxford game and after the game we had seven report symptoms. We had three players unable to come to the training ground yesterday.

‘We have a training session today and we'll see how the boys are.

'Of course we have players coming back from injuries as well, who we have to monitor very closely to see if they are going to be ready to go again.

‘It's going to have to be a case of wait and see on who's going to be fit and available.

'Portsmouth are on a not-so-good run of results, they've had a lot of draws, but I don't think that has any bearing to be honest.

'It's Portsmouth v Ipswich - a big game at this level.

'Whenever we go away from home we look to start well, impose ourselves and take the crowd away from them.

'We know we've got another big away following backing us. Hopefully we can deliver a performance and result for them.'

Danny Cowley

Team news

Pompey

Danny Cowley will be hoping the illness impacting will ease in time to face Ipswich.

The likes of Dane Scarlett, Jay Mingi and Connor Ogilvie were laid low for the Boxing Day trip to Exeter.

But Zak Swanson gave Cowley a boost by returning to the bench at St James Park, where he was introduced as a late substitute.

That gives Cowley the flexibility to return to a back four, as his side aim to improve their poor league form.

Louis Thompson is now close to a return from the broken leg which has kept him out since August.

Tom Lowery (hamstring), Joe Rafferty (stomach) and Jayden Reid (knee) were the other players missing on Boxing Day.

Predicted XI: Griffiths, Morrison, Raggett, Robertson; Dale, Mingi, Pack, Hume; Hackett, Bishop, Scarlett.

Ipswich

Like Pompey, Ipswich are dealing with illness ahead of their trip to Fratton Park.

A sickness bug has swept through Kieran McKenna’s squad in recent days, with the boss having to make a late selection call as a result.

McKenna has to also weigh up whether Marcus Harness and Lee Evans are ready for more minutes, after making their injury returns in the 3-0 Boxing Day win over Oxford.

Harness has been out since injuring his knee in the Papa John’s Trophy defeat to Pompey in November.

Evans is two games into a return after also suffering a knee injury in October agaisnt Derby.

Predicted XI: Walton; Donacien, Woolfenden, Burgess; Burns, Evans, Morsy, Davis; Chaplin, Harness; Ladapo.

Matchday odds (Paddy Power)

Pompey: 11/4

1-0 9/1, 2-0 14/1, 2-1 11/1, 3-0 40/1, 3-1 25/1, 3-2 35/1.

Ipswich: Evens

1-0 6/1, 2-0 8/1, 2-1 7/1, 3-0 14/1, 3-1 14/1, 3-2 22/1

Draw: 23/10

0-0 8/1, 1-1 5/1, 2-2 12/1, 3-3 66/1.

Officials

Referee: Sam Allison

Assistant referees: Richard Morris and Adam Ricketts

Fourth official : Farai Hallam

Key stats (all competitions)

Ipswich

Record this season: P30 W D6 L6

League Position: 2nd

Top goalscorer: Conor Chaplin (11)

Most Assists: Leif Davis (six)

Discipline: 48 yellow cards, 0 red cards

Pompey

Record this season: P29 W13 D11 L5

League Position: 11th

Top goalscorer: Colby Bishop (13)

Most Assists: Owen Dale (4)

Discipline: 44 yellows cards, 1 red card

Form guide

Ipswich

W 3-0 Oxford (H) League One

L 1-0 Wycombe (A) League One

W 2-1 Peterborough (H) League One

D 1-1 Fleetwood (H) League One

W 4-0 Buxton (H) FA Cup

L 2-0 Pompey (H) Papa John’s Trophy

Pompey

D 0–0 Exeter (A) League One

L 2-0 MK Dons (H) – League One

W 3-0 Stevenage (H) – EFL Trophy

L 2-0 Wycombe (A) – League One

W 3-2 MK Dons (H) – FA Cup

Other fixtures (7.45pm kick-off unless stated)

Barnsley v Fleetwood, Bristol Rovers v Exeter, Forest Green v Burton, Morecambe v Accrington, Oxford v Charlton, Peterborough v MK Dons, Plymouth v Wycombe, Sheffield Wednesday v Port Vale, Shrewsbury v Cheltenham.