Ipswich Town will host Wolves at Portman Road on Saturday afternoon, looking to build on the win over Bournemouth and keep their fading survival hopes alive.

Ipswich Town are 18th in the Premier League table, and they have picked up just four wins in the top flight this season ahead of the game vs Wolves this weekend. Kieran McKenna’s men will need to start grinding out results if they want to stay up this season.

The Tractor Boys ended their losing streak with a victory over the Cherries, and it remains to be seen whether they can put together a winning run now and keep their fading survival hopes alive.

Meanwhile, Wolves are coming into this game on the back of consecutive victories over Southampton and West Ham United. Vitor Pereira’s men are 17th in the league table, and they will not want to be dragged into the relegation battle. The away side will look to pick up a win here and hope to pull further clear of the bottom three.

Matches between these two teams are quite evenly matched, and this one is likely to be another cracking contest. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.

Team News & Tactics

Ipswich Town

Wes Burns has a knee injury, Chiedozie Ogbene misses out with an Achilles injury, and Omari Hutchinson has a knock. Leif Davis misses out with a leg injury, Sammie Szomodics has an ankle issue, and Arijanet Muric misses out with a shoulder injury.

Ipswich Town will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Wolves, with Alex Palmer in goal. Ben Johnson and Axel Tuanzebe will start as the full-backs here, and they will look to keep things compact defensively and hit the away side on the break. Luke Woolfenden and Dara O’Shea will form the central defensive partnership.

As for the midfield unit, Samy Morsy and Jens Cajuste will start in the double pivot, and they will look to win the ball back for their side and break down the opposition’s offensive moves.

Nathan Broadhead and Jack Clarke will add pace and flair from the flanks. Julio Enciso will reprise the attacking midfield role, and he will look to create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates. Finally, Liam Delap will lead the line for Ipswich Town vs Wolves on Saturday.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Palmer; Johnson, Woolfenden, O’Shea, Tuanzebe; Morsy, Cajuste; Broadhead, Enciso, Clarke; Delap

Wolves

Wolves will be without Yerson Mosquera, Enso Medina, and Sasa Kalajdzic due to their long-term knee injuries. Meanwhile, Matheus Cunha is suspended after his latest outburst.

Wolves are likely to shape up in a 4-4-1-1 formation vs Ipswich Town, with Sam Johnstone in goal. Matt Doherty and Nelson Semedo will start as the full-backs. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Santiago Bueno and Craig Dawson will pair up at the heart of the defence.

Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Rayan Ait-Nouri will start in the wide areas, and they will look to protect the full-backs and help out in the final third. Joao Gomes will start alongside Andre in the middle of the park, and they will look to add control and defensive cover to the side. Pablo Sarabia will start as the attacking midfielder here, with Jorgen Strand Larsen leading the line for Wolves vs Ipswich Town.

Probable Lineup (4-4-1-1): Johnstone; Doherty, Bueno, Dawson, Semedo; Bellegarde, Gomes, Andre, Ait-Nouri; Sarabia; Strand Larsen

Key Stats

• Ipswich Town have picked up just one win from their last six matches in the Premier League.
• Wolves have picked up three wins from their last six matches in Premier League.
• Ten goals have been scored in the last six meetings between these two teams.
• The last two meetings between these two sides have seen both teams get on the score sheet.
• Ipswich Town have conceded 14 goals in the last six matches in all competitions.

Player to Watch

Jorgen Strand Larsen

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The Wolverhampton Wanderers striker is in splendid form this season, and he has ten goals in the Premier League. The 25-year-old will look to make a defining contribution in the final third. He will look to take advantage of Ipswich Town’s defensive vulnerabilities and find the back of the net here.

The Norwegian international is coming into this game on the back of three goals from his last two Premier League matches. Strand Larsen will certainly fancy his chances of getting on the scoresheet here as well.

Prediction

Ipswich Town 2-2 Wolves

This is likely to be a close contest, and both teams will be desperate for a victory. Eight goals have been scored in the last two meetings between these two teams, and this one is likely to be another high-scoring affair. Ipswich Town managed to grind out a win over Wolves earlier on in the season, and they will look to pick up all three points here as well.

Wolves will look to make amends, and they will look to build on their recent performances. Both teams are likely to get on the score sheet, but they will cancel each other out and share the spoils in a draw. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-2 draw.