Ipswich Town vs Leicester City - prediction, team news, lineups

Fresh from their opening-day Premier League win, Ipswich Town volition invited acquainted opponents - League One broadside Leicester City - to Portman Road connected Tuesday, for a showdown successful the 2nd circular of the EFL Cup.

The Tractor Boys are successful fantabulous signifier overall, portion the Foxes person struggled astatine the commencement of 2026-27.

Match preview

Ipswich were promoted to the apical formation by finishing arsenic runners-up during the 2025-26 Championship campaign, but fans were acrophobic astir the aboriginal erstwhile then-manager Kieran McKenna stepped down successful the summer.

However, the Tractor Boys person fared good nether caller brag Gary O'Neil truthful far, adjacent if the erstwhile Bournemouth and Wolverhampton Wanderers caput manager mislaid his archetypal 2 friendlies successful the dugout - 2-1 against Osasuna connected July 29, and 2-0 against Oxford United connected August 1.

After getting to grips with O'Neil's demands, the Blues bounced backmost from those defeats by rounding retired their pre-season docket with 4 consecutive victories, including an awesome 3-0 triumph implicit Rayo Vallecano and a 4-2 triumph distant to Union Berlin.

Ipswich added to their increasing assurance by taking each 3 points from their Premier League opener, beating Sunderland 2-1 connected Saturday successful a show that volition capable fans with optimism for the run ahead.

That occurrence saw the Tractor Boys instrumentality the pb done Emersonn midway into the archetypal half, and showcased the team's mentality erstwhile Jack Clarke secured the triumph with a 90th-minute winner.

Having shown committedness successful pre-season and confirmed their capabilities successful the Premier League, O'Neil's broadside volition beryllium expecting to advancement connected Tuesday, though they indispensable stay focused to debar an upset.

Meanwhile, Russell Martin's Leicester person endured a contrastingly mediocre opening to the 2026-27 season, and the manager volition beryllium hoping to substance a turnaround with a affirmative effect successful midweek. 

The Foxes were relegated to League One aft finishing 23rd successful the Championship past term, and portion they volition beryllium hopeless to bounce backmost immediately, the nine drew their archetypal third-tier fixture 1-1 against Notts County earlier losing 2-1 to Burton Albion connected Saturday.

In fact, Martin's lone triumph of the run crossed each competitions came successful the archetypal circular of the EFL Cup, erstwhile his squad beat Northampton Town 1-0 connected August 8.

However, Leicester whitethorn instrumentality bosom from the information that they collected 4 points from a imaginable six against Ipswich successful past season's Championship, emerging 3-1 winners successful December 2025, and drafting 1-1 connected March 7 this year.

Additionally, Tuesday's visitors are unbeaten successful their six astir caller distant matches overall, winning 4 and drafting two, not to notation that the Foxes person lone mislaid 1 of their past 8 competitory outings connected the road.

Ipswich Town signifier (all competitions):

Leicester City EFL Cup form:

Leicester City signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Ipswich person doubts astir the fittingness of antiaircraft midfielders Florentino Luis and Azor Matusiwa, the second of whom is recovering from a musculus wounded helium picked up connected August 10.

If neither are disposable successful midweek, past O'Neil could opt for a treble pivot of Marcelino Nunez and Sasa Lukic astatine the basal of his midfield.

Further forward, Emersonn could pb the enactment erstwhile again, supported successful onslaught by a trio of Abdul Fatawu, Julio Enciso and Daizen Maeda.

As for Leicester, manager Martin whitethorn sanction a akin lineup to the 1 that bushed Northampton successful the archetypal round, though erstwhile Tottenham Hotspur antheral Oliver Skipp is suspended aft being sent disconnected against Burton.

In his absence, the versatile Hamza Choudhury is acceptable to run down Sammy Braybrooke and Liam Cullen successful the centre of the park, portion Stephy Mavididi and William Alves flank Bobby De Cordova-Reid up top.

Elsewhere, expect to spot Jakub Stolarczyk commencement successful goal, protected by a centre-half pairing of Harry Souttar and Caleb Okoli, with Jayden Joseph and Luke Thomas arsenic full-backs.

Ipswich Town imaginable starting lineup:

Scherpen; O'Shea, Diop, Greaves, Davis; Nunez, Lukic; Fatawu, Enciso, Maeda; Emersonn

Leicester City imaginable starting lineup:

Stolarczyk; Joseph, Souttar, Okoli, Thomas; Choudhury; Alves, Braybrooke, Cullen, Mavididi; Reid

We say: Ipswich Town 2-1 Leicester City

Ipswich person grown successful assurance nether caller manager O'Neil, and aft beating Sunderland astatine the weekend, they volition beryllium expecting to triumph successful the EFL Cup connected Tuesday.

By contrast, Leicester are inactive getting to grips with beingness nether Martin, and fixed their League One status, they volition travel into this contention arsenic important underdogs.

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