npower Championship
, Feb 11, 2012
Ground: Portman Road
, Kickoff: 15:00
Team news
Still no Bowyer for Town Lee Bowyer continues to be Ipswich's only absentee ahead of the visit of promotion-chasing Middlesbrough.
The veteran midfielder has been missing with a groin injury of late but has returned to training this week and is set to be involved in first-team affairs sooner rather than later.
Manager Paul Jewell does not have any other injury or suspension concerns heading into the encounter and is set to keep faith with an unchanged line-up for the third successive match.
Having seen his side blow away West Ham 5-1 Jewell named the same XI for last weekend's last-gasp 3-2 victory at Coventry and, with back-to-back wins secured for only the second time since October, the same side will be looking to make it nine points from nine.M Middlesbrough boss Tony Mowbray will make a series of late checks before naming his side.
Midfielders Faris Haroun (hamstring) and Barry Robson (dislocated finger) did not figure in the 2-1 FA Cup fourth round replay defeat by Barclays Premier League Sunderland, while striker Marvin Emnes (also hamstring) was used only as a substitute.
All three will be assessed before Mowbray names his team for the game at Portman Road, although Haroun is perhaps the biggest doubt.
Goalkeeper Danny Coyne (calf) has already been ruled out, while midfielders Nicky Bailey (knee) and Merouane Zemmama (hernia surgery) are gradually working their way back to fitness.
Ipswich vs Middlesbrough
Last modified 16:07 11/02/12
Ipswich clash frozen off Ipswich's npower Championship clash against Middlesbrough at Portman Road was abandoned after 37 minutes of the first half due to a frozen pitch with the scoreline goalless.
The playing surface in Suffolk survived two pitch inspections, at 11.15am and as late as 1.45pm, before referee Dean Whitestone gave the clash the green light.
The pitch had been protected for eight days while groundstaff had worked through the night since Wednesday before overnight temperatures in the region as low as minus 15c had initially put the game in doubt.
With little over half an hour of the first half having been played, Middlesbrough's players, staff and supporters were left having made a lengthy and ultimately fruitless round trip.
The surface had certainly contributed to a match which was anything but a classic before it was halted.
Ipswich went closest to an opener after 21 minutes as Daryl Murphy's strike amid a crowded penalty area cannoned back off the crossbar.
| Player rating out of ten | Player name | Substitution | Did they score? | Player's disciplinary record | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Arran Lee-Barrett | ||||
| 7 | Carlos Edwards | ||||
| 31 | Ibrahima Sonko(sub 31) |
|
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| 20 | Tommy Smith | ||||
| 3 | Aaron Cresswell | ||||
| 27 | Daryl Murphy | ||||
| 19 | Luke Hyam | ||||
| 17 | Andy Drury | ||||
| 9 | Jay Emmanuel-Thomas | ||||
| 11 | Lee Martin | ||||
| 10 | Michael Chopra | ||||
| Substitutes | |||||
| 32 | Alex McCarthy | ||||
| 5 | Damien Delaney(sub 31) |
|
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| 6 | Grant Leadbitter | ||||
| 14 | Jason Scotland | ||||
| 21 | Jimmy Bullard | ||||
| Player rating out of ten | Player name | Did they score? | Player's disciplinary record | Substitution | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jason Steele | ||||
| 2 | Justin Hoyte | ||||
| 15 | Seb Hines | ||||
| 14 | Rhys Williams | ||||
| 3 | Joe Bennett | ||||
| 29 | Tony McMahon | ||||
| 8 | Kevin Thomson | ||||
| 18 | Julio Arca | ||||
| 9 | Marvin Emnes | ||||
| 25 | Curtis Main | ||||
| 30 | Lukas Jutkiewicz | ||||
| Substitutes | |||||
| 31 | Connor Ripley | ||||
| 16 | Bart Ogbeche | ||||
| 19 | Andrew Halliday | ||||
| 20 | Luke Williams | ||||
| 33 | Richard Smallwood | ||||
| Team | Ipswich | Middlesbrough |
|---|
