Preview: Ipswich Town at Old Trafford up next for Manchester United! The fight shown against Everton should act as inspiration for United to get things done!

Manchester United -v- Ipswich Town

Premier League

Old Trafford, Manchester

Wednesday 26 February 2024, KO 19:30 GMT

Manchester United return to Old Trafford on Wednesday evening as they welcome Ipswich Town in the Premier League. Ruben Amorim’s side came back from 2-0 down against Everton in the final Premier League clash between the two sides at Goodison Park on Saturday to draw 2-2.

It was not the best performance for United but is something for the players to work on as they try to find their feet, which at this stage of the season should not be this hard but this club has been underachieving for more than a decade now and these pretentious players will never blame themselves for the problems.

United sit 15th in the Premier League table just 13 points clear of 17th placed Ipswich Town, with both teams already drawing at Portman Road earlier in the season. United will need to start performing rather than continuing down the path of failure, which could result in no European football next season.

United – Form, Goals Scored & Assists

Everton 2-2 D, Spurs 1-0 L, Leicester 2-1 W, Palace 2-0 L, FCSB 2-0 W, Fulham 1-0 W

Goals: 10 – Bruno Fernandes, 9 – Amad, 8 – Alejandro Garnacho, 7 – Rasmus Hojlund, Marcus Rashford, 5 – Joshua Zirkzee, 4 – Christian Eriksen, 3 – Casemiro, 2 – Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez, 1 – Antony, Diogo Dalot, Matthijs de Ligt, Jonny Evans, Kobbie Mainoo, Manuel Ugarte

Assists: 12 – Bruno Fernandes, 7 – Amad, 6 – Alejandro Garnacho, 4 – Christian Eriksen, 3 – Marcus Rashford, 2 – Diogo Dalot, Lisandro Martinez, Noussair Mazraoui, Joshua Zirkzee, 1 – Rasmus Hojlund, Kobbie Mainoo, Manuel Ugarte

Ipswich – Form, Goals Scored & Assists

Spurs 4-1 L, Villa 1-1 D, Coventry 4-1 W, Southampton 2-1 L, Liverpool 4-1 L, City 6-0 L

Goals: 10 – Liam Delap, 4 – Sammie Szmodics, 3 – Jack Clarke, Omari Hutchinson, 2 – Conor Chaplin, George Hirst, Jack Taylor, 1 – Ali Al-Hamadi, Leif Davis, Jacob Greaves, Sam Morsy, Kalvin Phillips, Jaden Philogene

Assists: 5 – Jack Clarke, 3 – Leif Davis, 2 – Cameron Burgess, Liam Delap, George Hirst, Omari Hutchinson, 1 – Ali Al-Hamadi, Nathan Broadhead, Wes Burns, Conor Chaplin, Julio Enciso, Ben Johnson, Sam Morsy, Sammie Szmodics, Conor Townsend

Previous Meetings & Connections

United and Ipswich have met 11 times in the Premier League. United have won five times, drawn four times and lost two times. United scored 24 goals against Ipswich, winning no penalties. Ipswich scored nine goals against United, winning no penalties. Before this season, the two teams last met over 22 years ago in the Premier League.

United have the better form against Ipswich and that 9-0 thrashing in the Premier League is the match that many will look back on with Andy Cole scoring five goals, Mark Hughes scoring a brace with Roy Keane and Paul Ince also getting on the scoresheet. United might even put in a performance like that under Amorim?

Brandon Williams, Axel Tuanzebe, Ryan Tunnicliffe, Frederic Veseli, Reece Brown, Mike Clegg, Lee Martin, Tom Lawrence, David Healy, Danny Simpson and Danny Higginbotham have all played for United and Ipswich during their careers, some of them at academy level which had been loaned to Ipswich.

Team News

United: United’s injury problem is back once again with eight players ruled out for the foreseeable future. Amorim will have to find a work around, which will be adding the talented youth players to the squad and allowing them to show what they can do, which is a good problem for United to have – it may save money in the summer.

Ruled Out: Lisandro Martinez (knee), Amad (ankle/foot), Luke Shaw (calf/shin/heel), Kobbie Mainoo (other), Mason Mount (thigh), Toby Collyer (knock), Altay Bayindir (other) and Jonny Evans (lower back)

Doubts: None

Suspended: None

Ipswich: The Tractor Boys also have substantial injuries at this stage of the season and they are rooted in the relegation places in the Premier League and look likely to go down – unless their form changes. It may be that this season was too soon for them and they could return in the not too distant future, but it doesn’t look good for them.

Ruled Out: Wesley Burns (knee), Chiedozie Ogbene (calf/shin/heel), Christian Walton (groin/hip/pelvic) and Julio Enciso Espinola (knee)

Doubts: Jens-Lys Cajuste (ankle/foot), Kalvin Phillips (calf/shin/heel) and Conor Chaplin (knee)

Suspended: None

Predicted United Starting XI – 3-4-2-1

Onana;

Mazraoui, de Ligt, Maguire;

Dalot. Ugarte, Casemiro, Dorgu;

Fernandes, Garnacho;

Hojlund

Predicted Ipswich Starting XI – 4-2-3-1

Palmer;

Tuanzebe, O’Shea, Greaves, Davis;

Phillips, Cajuste;

Philogene, Hutchinson, Clarke;

Delap

History, training and the lead up to the big match

United and Ipswich have met 58 times in the history of both clubs. United have won 29 times, drawn 10 times and lost 19 times. It was a 1-1 draw when the two sides met earlier this season. United had not met Ipswich in the Premier League since 2002 but did meet them in the League Cup in 2015.

United and Ipswich have played six matches since the Tractor Boys last beat them and United are undefeated with four wins and two draws. It was the 14 October 1997 when Ipswich last beat United, playing in the League Cup and winning 2-0. Two and a half years before United beat Ipswich 9-0 in the Premier League.

United’s form has been poor this season with them languishing in 15th place in the Premier League, out of the Carabao Cup but still in the Emirates FA Cup and the UEFA Europa League. Ipswich are in the relegation zone 13 points adrift of United and certain to face a battle to get out of the drop zone this season.

Manchester United 2-1 Ipswich Town

Written by Paul