Ipswich Town

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A new initiative highlighting the work of football club charities has been launched by the English Football League (EFL).

'Scan to Smile' will be rolled out in stadiums across the EFL from Friday until the end of January, with supporters invited to scan QR codes on posters displayed around grounds.

Each scan will unlock a short, uplifting story from a person whose life has been positively impacted by the support of their local club charity.

The subjects tackled include mental health support, combating loneliness, improving physical wellbeing, employability and confidence.

The EFL said it hoped the initiative would use "the reach and influence of football to offer fans a moment of positivity on matchday".

Trevor Birch, chief executive at the EFL, said: "Behind every club are people whose lives have been positively changed through the work and dedication of their local EFL club charity.

"This initiative gives supporters the chance to see that impact first-hand and reminds us that football truly is a force for good."

Ipswich Town will be aiming for fifth successive win when they make the trip to Sheffield United on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

The Tractor Boys are on a run of six league games undefeated, briefly occupying the automatic promotion spots after a win over Bristol City on Tuesday before Middlesbrough knocked them down to third with their win over Stoke the next day.

Should Boro fail to beat Preston North End in the early afternoon fixture, Ipswich will enter Bramall Lane with the opportunity to retake second spot.

But the Blades have given their home fans much to cheer about on home soil lately and would love to earn some redemption for their hefty defeat at Portman Road in earlier in the season.

• Sheffield United lost 5-0 in the reverse fixture against Ipswich Town this season (September 2025); their heaviest ever league defeat against the Tractor Boys.

• Ipswich Town will be looking to achieve a league double over Sheffield United for the first time since the 2010-11 campaign, also in the second tier.

• Sheffield United are unbeaten across their last six home league games (W4 D2), keeping four clean sheets in that time. It's as many shutouts as the Blades managed across their prior 19 matches at Bramall Lane combined.

• Ipswich have won their last four league games, with three of those coming in 2026. Only twice have they won their first four league games in a calendar year, doing so in 1956 and 1960.

• Patrick Bamford has scored three goals in five home league appearances for Sheffield United. Despite joining the club in November, he's already their joint-top scorer at home in the Championship this season (also 3 for Callum O'Hare).

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Ipswich Town will be without Jaden Philogene and Marcelino Nunez for Saturday's game against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.

Philogene, who has scored nine Championship goals this season, went off in the first half of their 3-0 home win against Blackburn Rovers and sat out the midweek victory over Bristol City which put them second in the table for 24 hours.

Chile international Nunez, who has made 23 appearances since arriving from Norwich City, was substituted in the 73rd minute of that game.

"Neither will be available for the weekend. Marcelino had some scans yesterday and we are still waiting for the full report on his ankle," boss Kieran McKenna told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"Jaden's [knee] is not super serious, but no chance for this weekend. But the next block of games after that, we'll have to wait and see.

"We had one little issue [with another player] in training today and we're going to have to make an assessment in the next 24 hours. Generally, we're in a pretty good position but it's always frustrating when you get a few injuries in the same area of the pitch."

Ipswich will be looking for their fifth league win in a row at Bramall Lane, having dropped back down to third place after Middlesbrough's win at Stoke City on Wednesday.

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Ipswich Town have now won six home league games in a row after the 2-0 victory over Bristol City on Tuesday night - and striker Ivan Azon has praised fans for playing their part.

The Tractor Boys moved into second thanks to Jack Clarke's double, putting pressure on third-placed Middlesbrough who travel to Stoke on Wednesday evening.

Kieran McKenna's side have lost just once at Portman Road in the Championship this season (W10 D4) and are unbeaten in nine games on home soil since the 3-0 defeat to Charlton on 21 October (W7 D2), conceding just three goals in that time.

Only league leaders Coventry City (35) have picked up more points at home than Ipswich (34) this season.

"Really nice to win at home," Azon told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"Another win. Thanks to all the fans that come on a Tuesday - 25,000, it's crazy to have everybody here and really thankful.

"Sometimes you don't have the best game and to feel them [fans] close to you is really nice. I've always said I feel them really close and they support us really nicely.

"I think we feel really well at home. Also we need to do it away but it's really nice to have all the fans and I think we feel really comfortable."

The 23-year-old, who is on loan from Serie A side Como, believes Ipswich are "getting better" and "improving as a team".

"I think the results show that," he added. "I think we are trying to achieve the goal [of promotion]. We want to keep going, keep winning and keep gaining points to still be at the top of the table."

Listen to Ivan Azon's full interview following the win over Bristol City on BBC Sounds.

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All English Football League games across a four-day period in February will begin one minute late to raise awareness for the Every Minute Matters campaign.

The initiative will be in place for 36 matches across the Championship, League One and League Two between 5 and 9 February.

EFL sponsor Sky Bet and the British Heart Foundation (BHF) have been working together since May 2024 to highlight the importance of speed when it comes to performing live-saving CPR.

Later kick-off times will serve as "a stark reminder that every minute matters", the EFL said.

Bristol Rovers defender Tom Lockyer collapsed while playing for Luton Town eight minutes into the Championship play-off final against Coventry in May 2023.

Lockyer then suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch seven months later during a Premier League game at Bournemouth.

"What happened to me can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time," said Lockyer, who is now a BHF ambassador.

"Every year, more than 40,000 people in the UK suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and most of them never make it home.

"I'm here today because of the transformative power of CPR as every minute matters when it comes to saving a life.

"This February, we want everyone to get behind this life-saving initiative, learn the skills and be ready to step in because your actions could give someone else the chance I was given."

Throughout February, the Every Minute Matters campaign will call on fans to learn CPR using the BHF's online RevivR, external tool.

"Each minute without CPR reduces a person's chance of survival, so we're urging fans to learn the skills now, before you ever need them," said Dr Charmaine Griffiths, chief executive of the BHF.

EFL chief executive officer Trevor Birch added: "The one minute kick-off adjustment is a simple, powerful reminder that swift CPR can be the difference between life and death."

Ipswich Town have agreed a loan-to-buy deal with Chelsea for teenage forward Frankie Runham. The Blues will retain a buy-back option on the 17-year-old. (Fabrizio Romano), external

Read all the latest EFL transfer rumours in Wednesday's gossip column here.

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Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna was full of praise for Jack Clarke after his two goals earned his team victory over Bristol City.

McKenna told BBC Radio Suffolk: "I really enjoyed him. He worked so hard off the ball in every aspect. His link-up was really good as well.

"His approach to the season has been top. There's some great competition with another player there who's having a great season in a similar position, but Jack has really hung in with the mindset of developing himself and trying to improve his all-round game, to work well if he starts and work well if he comes off the bench."

The other player mentioned was Jaden Philogene, injured in the weekend win over Blackburn, and McKenna said: "It's not very, very serious, which is good. He had a scan today and has a little issue in his knee. I can't give definite timescales but it looks tough for Saturday but thankfully it's not a long-term injury."

Image source, BBC Sport

Ipswich Town are keen on signing Bristol City winger Anis Mehmeti in the January window. The 25-year-old Albania international is out of contract this summer. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Check out Tuesday's gossip column here.

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Ipswich Town will look to continue an impressive recent run of form in their push for automatic promotion when they host Bristol City on Tuesday night (19:45 GMT kick-off).

The Tractor Boys have won three on the bounce and are unbeaten in their past five games (W4 D1) - a run which has put them within two points of Middlesbrough in second with a game in hand.

The Robins have won just one of their previous four matches (D1 L2) and are three points behind the play-off places.

• Ipswich are unbeaten in their past four league meetings with Bristol City (W2 D2), this after losing five of their previous six beforehand (W1).

• Both sides have scored in each of Bristol City's previous six league visits to Ipswich, with the head-to-head record even at two wins each and two draws in this period.

• Bristol City have lost 15 of their past 16 Championship away games against sides relegated from the Premier League the previous season (D1) since beating Fulham 2-1 in December 2019.

• Ipswich have only lost one of their previous 19 midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) games in the Championship (W12 D6), a 3-0 defeat to Charlton in October this season.

• Bristol City have only won one of their past 10 midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) away games in the Championship (D6 L3), beating Millwall 2-0 in March 2025.

Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna was delighted by his side's latest win at Blackburn despite injuries in his squad.

They remain on the heels of second-placed Middlesbrough as they look for a second promotion to the Premier League in three seasons.

"It was nice to get the early goals. It puts you in a great position in the game and from there we were always comfortable," he told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"Blackburn played their part and didn't give up on the game so it kept it competitive but we also know we could have killed the game off a lot earlier with the third goal. It didn't come until the end but it came in a nice way when it did.

"It would have been nice to have had a more relaxing view of the second half if we had been able to get the goal earlier but I didn't think it was for the want of doing the right things. We have goals in the group and in the squad."

Jaden Philogene had to go off with a knee problem and McKenna confirmed Chuba Akpom and Kasey McAteer also have injuries.

Town are at home to Bristol City on Tuesday evening.

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Ipswich Town striker George Hirst will be available for the side's game against Blackburn Rovers on Saturday (12:30 GMT), boss Kieran McKenna has confirmed.

The Scotland international has not played since 20 December after being substituted in the ninth minute of their 3-1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday with a groin injury.

"He's trained all week," McKenna told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"He's an important part of the squad so he'll be with us tomorrow."

Hirst has scored six goals for the Tractor Boys this season, twice as many as he had in the Premier League the season prior.

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Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna has hailed his team's "quality and resilience" after being named Championship manager of the month for December.

Town won four of their seven games last month, including a 2-0 victory away to leaders Coventry City, and were beaten only once.

"This award is credit to everyone involved with the team and also the supporters, because it was a really challenging December with lots of games and lots of travel," McKenna told the club website., external

"Although not every game went our way, we really stuck at it and showed lots of quality and resilience. That took a lot of effort from everyone and it's especially pleasing for us to win this award in a month which asked so much of us.

"We know it will take a big, big effort over the next few months and it's now about everyone continuing to work hard, sticking together and seeing where we are at the end of the season."

McKenna was chosen by the judging panel ahead of fellow nominees Watford's Javi Gracia, Sergej Jakirovic of Hull City and Swansea head coach Vitor Matos.

It is McKenna's sixth Manager of the Month award, and he was also named EFL Championship manager of the season in 2024.

Ipswich are third in the table, just two points behind second-placed Middlesbrough but with a game in hand, and are at home to Blackburn Rovers on Saturday.

Image source, Opta

Ipswich Town will resume their Championship promotion push with the visit of Blackburn Rovers to Portman Road on Saturday (12:30 GMT).

The Tractor Boys have motored up the standings, taking 16 points from the seven games since these sides drew 1-1 in the rearranged fixture at Ewood Park on 2 December.

If Middlesbrough fail to win at West Brom on Friday night, Kieran McKenna's side would climb into the automatic promotion places with a win against Rovers, who start the day 20th, four points above the relegation zone, after a run of one win in 10 games dating back to November.

• Ipswich Town are unbeaten in their past nine home league games against Blackburn Rovers (W4 D5) since losing 3-1 in 1994/95 in the Premier League.

• Blackburn have won one of their past eight league games against Ipswich Town (D3 L4), a 2-0 home win in January 2019.

• Since the start of November, Ipswich Town have won the most points in the Championship (28) and only Sheffield United (27) have netted more goals than the Tractor Boys (25).

• Blackburn Rovers have drawn six of their past nine league matches (W1 L2) – their previous six draws beforehand came over a period of 51 games (W20 D6 L25).

• Ipswich's Azor Matusiwa has made the most interceptions (46) of any Championship player this season, while he also ranks third for possession won (140).

Image source, Getty Images

Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna, Watford's Javi Gracia, Sergej Jakirovic of Hull City and Swansea head coach Vitor Matos have been nominated for the Championship's manager of the month award for December.

McKenna has moved Ipswich into the top three and within two points of second-placed Middlesbrough after taking 14 points from their seven games last month, which included two wins over leaders Coventry.

Watford reappointed Gracia as head coach in October and an unbeaten run in December has pushed them into the play-off places, with the Hornets currently on a four-game winning run in the league.

Jakirovic has taken Hull City into promotion contention with wins at Middlesbrough and Millwall.

Swansea boss Matos started his reign with successive defeats but four wins from their six games in December has taken the Welsh side eight points clear of the relegation zone.

The winner will be announced on Friday, 16 January.