Ipswich Town vs Nottingham Forest: Match Preview, Latest Team News and Score Prediction

Ipswich Town vs Nottingham Forest: Match Preview, Latest Team News and Score Prediction Ipswich vs Nottingham Forest Preview: Team News, Liam Delap Angle Seven games into a Premier League season, the table can still lie. Form can be noisy, fixtures can distort things, and a couple of moments swing perception. Even so, Ipswich sitting 10th and Nottingham Forest down in 19th is not what most expected. Ipswich have been efficient, particularly at Portman Road. They already have more home wins than they managed in their previous top-flight relegation campaign two seasons earlier. They have also picked up three victories in total, the same number as Liverpool in fifth. That tells you enough. Gary O’Neil has got them competitive quickly, and that matters more than style points in this part of the season. Forest are a different story. Oliver Glasner has found little rhythm since taking charge. The raw numbers are poor enough, five points, a goal difference of -4, and no goals in four home matches. That is why they head to Portman Road second from bottom. There is no way to dress that up. Ipswich team news and likely setup Sasa Lukic missed the 3-2 defeat at Manchester City with a minor groin issue, but he is expected to return. If he does, he goes straight back alongside Exequiel Palacios in midfield. Florentino Luis and Azor Matusiwa remain the alternatives if needed. Photo: IMAGO Jack Taylor is still out with a knee problem and has yet to feature this season. Abdul Fatawu is back from suspension and gives O’Neil another option out wide, with Daizen Maeda the man under pressure for that spot. O’Neil changed shape against City and used a back three. It would make sense to keep it. Leif Davis and Abdoul Ouattara would then continue as wing-backs, giving Ipswich width without losing defensive cover. At home, against a Forest side low on confidence, that setup looks sensible rather than cautious. Forest selection issues before Portman Road test Forest still have problems at both ends of the pitch. Igor Jesus is out with a calf injury until the end of the month, which leaves Liam Delap as the likely central striker, with Chris Wood available as cover. Morgan Gibbs-White missed the loss to Arsenal with a muscle issue, but Glasner indicated he was close. If he is fit enough, he should start. Simple as that. Forest need somebody who can connect midfield to attack, and he is the obvious answer. If he plays, James McAtee can drop deeper. If not, Nicolas Dominguez is likely to keep his place. Nikola Milenkovic returned to the matchday squad against Arsenal after a knee bone bruise and could be brought back carefully. Nicolo Savona remains a long-term absentee with a knee injury and has not played since January. Liam Delap return adds edge to prediction The player angle is obvious. Liam Delap returns to Portman Road, where he made a strong impression before his move away. He has shown flashes for Forest and scored the opener in their 2-1 win at Aston Villa. Against an Ipswich side likely to defend with numbers but still leave room in transition, he has a real chance of getting on the scoresheet. As for the result, this is where the blunt answer sits. There is evidence pulling in both directions. Ipswich have the better league position, home advantage and more stable mood. Forest have the stronger underlying numbers and may get Gibbs-White back, which changes their attack immediately. Kick-off is at 8pm BST on Friday, October 23 at Portman Road. By then, one of these clubs could look like a false league position. Maybe both do.