Portman Road, Ipswich. Tuesday 9th March 2010, kick-off 7.45pm
Cardiff City begin a run of three successive away games on tonight when they - along with the diehard travelling fans - make the long trip east to Ipswich. The Bluebirds will be looking to consolidate their top-six place following Saturday's win over Middlesbrough, while the Tractor Boys are in desperate need of points for survival. Simon Glanville previews the game.
Cardiff team news: Dave Jones will have to assess his Cardiff City squad again for the trip to Ipswich. Jones is already without Joe Ledley, Mark Hudson, Stephen McPhail, Peter Whittingham and Mark Kennedy, and with a number of players struggling for fitness, the gaffer will be hoping his players pull through in time.
Ipswich team news: Goalkeeper Richard Wright is back in contention for Ipswich after returning from a long-term injury. Grant Leadbitter will miss the Cardiff game after picking up his tenth booking of the season in the Tractor Boys' last game at Blackpool, while Luciano Civelli is out for the season with a serious knee problem.
Ipswich's season so far: After making a high-profile appointment in the shape of Roy Keane, big things were expected of Ipswich Town this season. But so far, Keane's tenure has not proved to be a success, with his side struggling at the wrong end of the Championship.
It took Keane until the end of October to get his first win, and although his team has improved since then, the Tractor Boys remain in a relegation battle. Ipswich are just a point above the bottom three and a big problem has been converting draws into wins. Town have drawn exactly half of their thirty-four league games, an indication as to why they are languishing at the wrong end of the table.
Last meeting: Despite leading with less than twenty minutes to go, Cardiff City fell to defeat the last time they met Ipswich back in November at the Cardiff City Stadium. Peter Whittingham had put the Bluebirds ahead with a sweetly struck volley, but the Tractor Boys hit back with goals from Jon Walters and Jon Stead to steal the three points. City tasted victory for the first time in sixty-two years at Portman Road last season, goals from Jay Bothroyd and Gabor Gyepes securing a 2-1 win.
Teams from last meeting at Cardiff City Stadium on 29th November 2009:
Bluebirds: Marshall (Enckelman, 46), Gyepes, Hudson, Kennedy, Burke (Etuhu, 76), Whittingham, Ledley, Rae (McCormack, 87), Matthews, Chopra, Bothroyd. Subs not used: Scimeca, Quinn, Gerrard, Taiwo.
Ipswich: Richard Wright (Lee-Barrett, 25), David Wright, Rosenior, McAuley, Leadbitter, Garvan, Edwards (Quinn, 65), Delaney, Walters, John, Priskin (Stead, 52). Subs not used: Peters, Martin, Smith, Colback.
Attendance: 19,463.
Ipswich last time out: The Tractor Boys' troubles continued last time out after Jason Euell scored his first goal for Blackpool since October to condemn them to defeat. The loss leaves Ipswich nineteenth in the table ahead of Tuesday's game.
Ipswich Town side versus Blackpool: Murphy, McAuley, Peters, Edwards (Healy, 67), Delaney, Leadbitter, Rosenior, Norris (Counago, 76), Colback, Murphy (Wickham, 66), Walters. Subs not used Lee-Barrett, David Wright, Garvan, Balkestein.
