Ipswich Town dealt major blow on eve of Portsmouth match after surprise EFL decision made
Ipswich Town have been dealt a major blow ahead of Saturday’s Championship contest against Pompey.
Pompey are back on the road this weekend as they make the trip to Portman Road to face newly-relegated Ipswich Town.
The Blues will be looking to bounce back from their disappointing 2-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday last week.
But the Tractor Boys will be without one key figure for Pompey’s visit on Saturday afternoon following a key decision made by the EFL this week.
Ipswich’s contest against Blackburn Rovers has been at the centre of debate throughout the week after the fixture was called off in the 79th minute due to a waterlogged pitch.
Despite McKenna’s men being 1-0 behind and down to 10 men at the time, the Football League have ordered the match at Ewood Park to be replayed in full.
However, Jacob Greaves’ second-half red card has not been rescinded and will still have to serve his ban against Pompey but is able to appear against Rovers in the rescheduled fixture.
EFL statement over Blackburn v Ipswich contest
A statement by the EFL read: ‘The EFL Board has today determined that the Sky Bet Championship fixture between Blackburn Rovers and Ipswich Town should be replayed in full following its abandonment on Saturday 20 September.
‘The fixture was abandoned in the 79th minute after the referee had taken the players off the pitch following a sustained period of heavy rainfall, which caused the playing surface to become unplayable.
‘The Board comprehensively considered all options available in accordance with the Regulations alongside representations made by both Clubs.
‘It was ultimately decided by a majority that the fixture should be replayed in full. The decision follows recent precedents relating to abandoned fixtures and is intended to uphold the integrity of the League competition which should, wherever possible, be based on a complete set of fixtures played to a conclusion on the day.
‘Following due consideration, the three Championship Directors abstained from the vote.
‘The Board recognised that this was an incredibly difficult decision and agreed to consult Clubs on the best approach to the development of new guidance to be considered in the event of a match abandonment.
‘A new date for the fixture will be confirmed by the respective Clubs in due course.’
Ipswich v Pompey Injury latest
It will no doubt be a bitter blow for the Tractor Boys, who are already without fellow defender Conor Townsend (ACL) and wing-back Wes Burns (ACL).
Conor Shaughnessy, Callum Lang, Nicolas Schmid, Thomas Waddingham, Harvey Blair and Franco Umeh are all out, while Josh Murphy faces a late fitness call.