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Ipswich need 4 points from 2 games to ensure promotion
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Coventry have lost four of their last six
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Hirst and Burns returns were big for Town
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Coventry v Ipswich
Saturday, 20:00
Live on Sky Sports Football
A late Hull equaliser on Saturday night means that this cannot be the promotion party that Ipswich fans crave, but three points here would put The Tractor Boys on the cusp of the Premier League going into Saturday's game against all-but-relegated Huddersfield Town.
Had Kieran McKenna's men held onto their 3-2 lead last time out then a win here would have been enough to confirm promotion, but the aim is now to get the result to put them three points ahead of Leeds with one game to go, meaning a final day draw would be enough regardless of how Daniel Farke's side get on against Southampton.
In many ways Coventry are the perfect opponent for the visitors. They've had a grueling few weeks, playing Saturday-Tuesday most weeks in order to fulfil their league fixtures alongside that epic FA Cup run. The emotional fatigue of that cup heartbreak was then compounded by a midweek defeat to Hull that ended their top six dream, and therefore promotion hopes.
The 0-0 away draw at Blackburn showed an element of resoluteness given the circumstances, but in truth they were poor in that game and were fortunate not to be beaten. They were under the cosh against a relegation threatened side throughout, and the pressure only mounted in the second half when Liam Kitching was sent off.
He's suspended for this one, and it would be no surprise to see Mark Robbins rotate his side here given the amount of games his team is being asked to play in such a short period of time. They've lost four of their last six in the league, and it's hard to see how they will muster the kind of performance level needed to stop an Ipswich side, for whom the stakes couldn't be higher.
The visitors have also been strengthened by the return of George Hirst and Wes Burns from injury, both of who were surprise starters at Hull in their first games back from an enforced layoff.
Town have won 11 games on the road and eight of those have been to nil. With Coventry mustering just six shots at Blackburn last time out, it's not hard to imagine them drawing a blank so the 11/43.75 about Ipswich winning this to nil appeals.
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