Oxford United vs Ipswich Town - prediction, team news, lineups

Newly-promoted Ipswich Town proceed their preparations up of the Premier League play with an distant clash against Oxford United connected Saturday.

The Tractor Boys volition look the U's astatine midday earlier taking connected Wycombe Wanderers precocious successful the time astatine 4pm. 

Match preview

Oxford are backmost competing successful League One aft their two-season Championship enactment came to an extremity past term.

The U's finished successful 22nd spot aft mustering 47 points from 46 matches, leaving them 4 points adrift of safety. 

Oxford decided to portion ways with Matt Bloomfield, who lone took implicit the reins successful January, and regenerate him with erstwhile Arsenal and Cardiff City midfielder Aaron Ramsey.

The occupation represents the 35-year-old's archetypal imperishable managerial role, which has already been made tougher by the nine being placed nether a impermanent transportation embargo until they conscionable the EFL's wage outgo absorption protocol (SCMP) regulations.

Prior to the embargo, the U's recruited left-back Ruben Rooksen and guardant Nik Prelect connected imperishable deals pursuing their respective indebtedness spells and Frankie Kent connected a escaped transportation from Hearts. 

Despite being constricted to 3 caller additions, Oxford person built momentum successful pre-season with 3 consecutive victories against Aldershot, Barnet and Crawley Town. 

Ipswich, meanwhile, are preparing for their 2nd Premier League run successful 3 seasons aft securing an contiguous instrumentality via a second-placed decorativeness successful the Championship past term.

Kieran McKenna decided to measurement down aft Ipswich's promotion-winning season, forcing the Ipswich hierarchy to hunt for their archetypal caput manager since 2021.

The Tractor Boys yet settled connected Gary O'Neil, who near his relation astatine Strasbourg to instrumentality to English shot for the archetypal clip since being sacked by Wolverhampton Wanderers successful December 2024.

Ipswich person made a sizeable effort to springiness O'Neil the resources to conflict for Premier League survival, having confirmed 8 imperishable signings this summer, including 2 caller goalkeepers, Kjell Sherpen and Kayne van Oevelen.

They person bolstered their backline with Issa Diop and Cedric Kipre, portion their attacking options person been strengthened with the signings of Abdul Fatawu, Daizen Maeda, Chuba Akpom and Emersonn. 

The Tractor Boys are present preparing for their 5th pre-season affable and their 2nd successful beforehand of supporters aft losing 2-1 to Osasuna successful Wednesday's contention astatine Colchester's Jobserve Community Stadium. 

Oxford United friendlies form:

W W W

Ipswich Town friendlies form:

L 

Team News

Kent is expected to miss the bulk of his archetypal play arsenic an Oxford subordinate aft sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament wounded earlier this month. 

Ramsey could opt to commencement with a backmost 4 of Peter Kioso, Michael Helik, James Golding and Jack Currie for Oxford's last pre-season friendly.

Gailtin O'Donkor whitethorn get the motion for the fig 9 spot, though helium is facing contention from Mark Harris.

Meanwhile, it is hard to foretell what XI O'Neil volition prime due to the fact that helium volition surely sanction 2 abstracted lineups for the games against Oxford and Wycombe connected Saturday.

Azor Matusiwa is facing a conflict to beryllium acceptable for the commencement of the play aft undergoing country earlier this summer.

The 28-year-old is joined connected the sidelines by chap midfielder Jack Taylor, who is recovering from a genu operation. 

Oxford United imaginable starting lineup:

Cumming; Kioso, Helik, Golding, Currie; Brannagan, Sibley; Mills, Goodrham, Snowden; O'Donkor

Ipswich Town imaginable starting lineup:

Palmer; H. Clarke, Greaves, O'Shea, Davis; Nunez, Humphreys; Fatawu, Mehmeti, J. Clarke; Emersonn

We say: Oxford United 1-2 Ipswich Town

Oxford person enjoyed occurrence up until this constituent of their pre-season schedule, but the level of absorption goes up a notch connected Saturday, and with that successful mind, we deliberation Ipswich's other prime volition radiance done successful a constrictive win. 

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