Sean Dyche will take his Everton side to face Ipswich Town [Credit: Imago]

Wed 16 October 2024 10:10, UK

Everton will travel to Portman Road to face Ipswich Town in the Premier League on Saturday (19 October) with Sean Dyche eager to build on his side's recent form.

The Blues sit sixteenth in the league table, two points clear of the relegation zone after a three-match unbeaten run in the Premier League heading into the international break.

Preview Ipswich have proven tough to beat at Portman Road this season, with Liverpool the only side to leave Suffolk with three points since the opening day 2-0 loss.

Everton were unlucky to leave Goodison Park with a share of the spoils last time out against Newcastle United as referee Craig Pawson denied the hosts a penalty after Dan Burn brought down Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the penalty area.

Jordan Pickford was on hand to deny the visitors a penalty of their own as the goalkeeper thwarted Anthony Gordon's attempt from 12 yards to keep the scoreline level.

Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin [Credit: Imago] Only one point and one league position separates the two sides heading into the weekend. The result of the contest could have massive ramifications at the bottom of the Premier League even after only seven matches into the new campaign.

While the Toffees have slowly gathered momentum under Dyche, Ipswich have been putting up a fight in the league with four consecutive draws, including against Brighton and Aston Villa, before the 4-1 loss away to West Ham.

It will be no easy feat for Everton to leave Portman Road with points on the board but Dyche must find a way, with his long-term future at Goodison Park growing more uncertain with each passing week.

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Form Guide (Premier League) Ipswich Town: LDDDD

Everton: DWDLL

Head-to-Head [all competitions] The sides will face each other in the Premier League for the first time in 22 years, with Everton sporting a poor record against this weekend's opponents.

Everton 1-2 Ipswich Town [2 February, 2002]

Ipswich Town 0-0 Everton [13 October, 2001]

Ipswich Town 2-0 Everton [24 February, 2001]

Everton 0-3 Ipswich Town [30 September, 2000]

Everton 1-0 Ipswich Town [23 January, 1999]

Team News Iliman Ndiaye returned to training for Senegal and featured for 31 minutes in the 1-0 win against Malawi on Tuesday [15 October] after he was suspected to have sustained a thigh injury on international duty.

Everton could also welcome the return of full-back Vitali Mykolenko, who is set to recover from his latest injury setback in time to feature for the side on the weekend.

Seamus Coleman and Nathan Patterson are still out for the Blues, while Jarrad Branthwaite remains in contention to feature at Portman Road after his absence in the last two Premier League outings.

Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite Armando Broja is still nursing a long-term injury after his summer loan move from Chelsea, alongside forward Youssef Chermiti, who is also a while away from first-team contention.

As for Ipswich, first-team regulars Massimo Luongo and Axel Tuanzebe will be absent from the matchday squad as they continue their rehabilitation.

Jens-Lys Cajuste and Nathan Broadhead are being assessed ahead of a potential return to the side to face Everton. The latter has yet to feature for Ipswich this season and both could provide a further boost to the attacking options for McKenna.

Predicted lineups Ipswich Town: Muric, Johnson, O'Shea, Greaves, Davis, Morsy, Phillips, Hutchinson, Szmodics, Clark, Delap

Everton: Pickford, Garner, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Doucoure, Mangala, Harrison, McNeil, Ndiaye, Calvert-Lewin

Where to watch? The match at Portman Road kicks off at 3pm GMT on 19 October and will not be broadcast live in the UK. For fans outside of the UK, the match will be broadcast live on beIN Sports.

Prediction: Ipswich Town 2-2 Everton McKenna has stopped much stronger sides at Portman Road this season and, while Everton are enjoying a solid vein of form in the Premier League, not much is expected to separate the sides this weekend.

Liam Delap has found his feet at The Tractor Boys since his move from Manchester City this summer with four league goals in seven starts and the attacking trio behind the forward, Omari Hutchinson, Sammie Szmodics and Jack Clark, can cause the visitors some problems.

Dyche will be relying on the return of Branthwaite to shore up the backline and the stellar form of Dwight McNeil to swing the momentum in their favour at Portman Road. However, given the run of form both sides have enjoyed in recent weeks, the result is too close to call.

In other Everton news, a Blues takeover development has emerged amid a PS50m twist.