Ipswich Town host Reading in relegation six-pointer

Ipswich Town and Reading clash at Portman Road on Saturday with both sides knowing the importance of a win.

The Tractor Boys, unbeaten in their previous three matches, must beat fellow strugglers Reading in order to prolong their chances of escaping relegation.

The Blues, meanwhile, are currently nine points adrift of safety and, with an inferior goal difference to their fellow relegation contenders. A defeat would leave the Suffolk outfit twelve points from safety with just eleven games remaining.

However, three points for Reading could further improve their chances of staying in the Sky Bet Championship. The Royals sit outside the drop zone on just goal-difference and had to settle for a point against fellow relegation contenders Rotherham last weekend.

Things could have been much rosier for the Tractor Boys had they held on to claim victory at Wigan on Saturday. The ten-men Blues led courtesy of Will Keane’s first-half penalty after Jonas Knudsen was sent-off, but former Town striker Joe Garner stroked home in second-half added time to salvage a point for the Latics.

Victory on Saturday would reduce the gap to six points for Paul Lambert’s side but, with trips to West Bromwich Albion, Bristol City and Sheffield United all to come, a defeat would leave even the most optimistic of supporters planning for next season’s adventures in the third tier.

Team news

Town boss Lambert, who faces the second of his two-match touchline suspension, has a selection dilemma in attacking departments this weekend. Will Keane (hamstring) is ruled out after sustaining an injury at Wigan. Freddie Sears (knee) is a long-term absentee alongside Grant Ward, leaving goalscoring duties with Collin Quaner and Kayden Jackson.

James Collins could feature but requires a late fitness test, Jonas Knudsen is ineligible due to suspension. Teddy Bishop is likely to return.

Reading have no fresh injury concerns ahead of the trip to Suffolk.

From the dug-outs

Paul Lambert reiterated the importance of winning in order to keep his side’s chances of survival alive:

“It’s a massive game. They all are but they are the closest team that we can reach so that adds to it.

“We’re playing well. That’s the main thing. We are on a little run and we have to look to keep that momentum going.

“The support we’ve had has been fantastic and we are going to need all that again on Saturday.”

Royals boss Jose Gomes also commented on the value of three points for his side.

“The result is the most important thing, we definitely need to win games. We are in a better position than we were before, a bigger distance from the bottom two teams and shorter distance from the teams above us.

“We just need to win and reduce this distance to these teams above us. The way the players have been working, it has been on small details in games and we’ve been working on it during the week.