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Ipswich Town vs Manchester City: Ben Godfrey handed Blues Premier League debut in five changes with Jaden Philogene and Axel Tuanzebe on the bench




Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna has gone with a fresh legs approach for the visit of champions Manchester City (4.30pm, Sky Sports) with five changes including a Blues Premier League debut for Ben Godfrey while fellow January signing Jaden Philogene is on the bench.

Only one is known to be an enforced switch from the 2-0 home defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion, with loanee Kalvin Phillips unable to play against his parent club with captain Sam Morsy coming back into the midfield engine room.

Two of the back three are changed with only Republic of Ireland international Dara O’Shea remaining, and set to take up a new position in the central role with Atalanta loanee Godfrey, who comes in for Luke Woolfenden, set to play in the right-sided role. Cameron Burgess replaces Jacob Greaves on the left of the trio.

Ben Godfrey (main) comes in for his Premier League debut for Ipswich Town against champions Manchester City while fellow January signing Jaden Philogene (inset) is on the bench Pictures: ITFC
Ben Godfrey (main) comes in for his Premier League debut for Ipswich Town against champions Manchester City while fellow January signing Jaden Philogene (inset) is on the bench Pictures: ITFC

The more defensively-minded Ben Johnson returns at right wing-back in place of Wes Burns, while the final change comes with Jack Clarke in one of the two number 10 roles, behind former Man City striker Liam Delap, for Nathan Broadhead.

It means Omari Hutchinson, who was a surprise starter on his return from a groin issue against Brighton, having only missed one Premier League match (Fulham) is deemed good to go again from the off. Philogene, who finally completed his £20 million switch to Portman Road on Wednesday night, is among the options to relieve him later on.

The other notable inclusion on the bench is Axel Tunazebe for the first time since his hamstring injury with no outright central defender, as is the norm under McKenna, meaning no place in the 20 for Greaves and Woolfenden.

Pep Guardiola has also mixed things up from their midweek game, a 2-2 draw at Brentford on Wednesday, with four changes including a surprise return for Ruben Dias for Nathan Ake while Ederson comes in back in goal for Stefan Ortega.

The other two come in the midfield with Ilkay Gundogan and Jeremy Doku replacing Bernardo Silva and Savinho with both dropping to the bench alongside Ortega while Ake is the only absentee from the 20.

The four-in-a-row champions go into the game in eighth place, looking to end the weekend in fourth, while Town occupy the final releagation spot in 18th with a draw or a win set to see them go above Wolverhampton Wanderers, who they are tied with on a goal difference, ahead of their game with Chelsea tomorrow night.

Ipswich: Walton, Johnson, O’Shea, Godfrey, Burgess, Davis, Hutchinson, Morsy (cpt), Cajuste, J Clarke, Delap. Subs: Muric, Tuanzebe, Townsend, Luongo, Taylor, Burns, Philogene, Broadhead, Hirst.

Man City: Ederson, Nunes, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol, Kovacic, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Foden, Doku, Haaland. Subs: Ortega, Grealish, Bernardo, Savinho, Mubama, Alleyne, O'Reilly, Lewis, McAtee.

Referee: Sam Barrott (West Riding, Yorkshire)

VAR: Paul Tierney