Preview: Town Vs Leicester

By Aston
February 11 2005

Ipswich Town have the chance to move to move eight points clear at the top of the championship table if they beat Leicester tomorrow.

Preview: Leicester

Ipswich Town have the chance to move to move eight points clear at the top of the championship table if they beat Leicester tomorrow.

Town manager has just one injury for the game, Drissa Diallo is still out with a hamstring injury but he stands a chance of playing against Preston next Friday. Darren Bent and Shefki Kuqi have both been passed fit after picking up knocks against Sheffield United last week.

Town manager Joe Royle is weary that Leicester may be hard to beat because of their size and manager Craig Levein having not given up on the play-offs, Royle: “Leicester were many people's tip as champions and they have found it hard.

“Things did not go as they expected and they have had managerial changes, but I still think they are certainly better than their position at the moment suggests.

“I don't suppose for one minute that Craig Levein has given up on reaching the play-off places but they need to get a run going and they will probably need to do that at our place.

“They are what they are. They are a little less direct than they were at the beginning of the season and I'm sure, by the time next season starts, Levein will have his own people firmly in place.

“They are in transition but are still one of the strong sides, unbeaten in seven, are not easy to beat and certainly rival Stoke for size.

“Statistically, they don't score too many goals, so let us hope they don't start on Saturday.

“It is important we stay focused on this game and not look too far ahead.

“But we also we need to put a good run of wins together now. We are virtually two wins in front and if we can get another few under our belt, then we can start looking ahead to the end of the season. But at the moment we are just focused on Leicester.”

Town squad: Darren Bent, Dean Bowditch, Darren Currie, Kelvin Davis, Jason De Vos, Kevin Horlock, Daniel Karbassiyoon, Shefki Kuqi, Jim Magilton, Tommy Miller, Richard Naylor, Lewis Price, Matt Richards, David Unsworth, Ian Westlake, Fabian Wilnis.

Craig Levein’s side have doubts over Alan Maybury and Keith Gillespie who are both suffering with flu former Town defender Chris Makin missing the hostile reception that will most likely await him at Portman Road also going down with flu, Danny Tiatto is doubtful with a hamstring injury Gareth Williams also having hamstring trouble. Another former Town man James Scowcroft is likely to start on the bench Stephen Hughes taking his place.

Leicester manager Craig Levein is bringing his team to Suffolk to win: “We have done well away from home and it is our intention to win the match.

“We've had reasonable results since the turn of the year, I'm a bit disappointed that we didn't beat Crewe last week because I thought that we should have done a little bit better.

“But the players that we have got here are more than capable of winning Saturday's match, and that is one of the frustrating things.

“They have got a good strikeforce and that has been one of the foundations behind their success this season.

“But we managed to keep the two lads at Wigan quiet when they were rattling in the goals right, left and centre so I am confident that we can go there and put up a decent defensive show.

“We want to test ourselves against the good teams and at this moment in time they are the best side in the Championship.”

Other games of note for Town fans this weekend are 2nd placed Wigan’s trip to Crewe and Sunderland make the long trip down to Watford.

Sources: EADT and Leicester City the official website.

Talk about Town on our message board.