Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich Town welcome Bolton Wanderers to Portman Road on the opening day of the 2022-23 League One campaign.
The Tractor Boys will be hoping to kick off the new campaign with three points against Ivan Evatt’s Trotters on Saturday, July 30.
The new season will mark the fourth consecutive year that Ipswich have plied their trade in the third tier of English football.
But after an impressive second half of last season under McKenna, Ipswich fans will be dreaming of a return to the Championship.
The former Manchester United assistant manager took over the reins at the Suffolk club in December and guided Ipswich to an 11th-place finish.
From 23 games in charge of Ipswich, McKenna’s record stands at 11 wins, eight draws and four losses. But after finishing 13 points off the play-off places, Tottenham Hotspur’s former Under-18s manager knows there is work to do, in order to challenge for promotion.
With the new Football League campaign kicking off in a month’s time, HITC Sport takes a look at how Ipswich Town could line-up on the opening day against Bolton Wanderers.
How Ipswich Town could line-up on opening day
After originally signing for Ipswich on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion, goalkeeper Christian Walton signed for the Tractor Boys on a permanent deal in January and made 38 appearances last season.
The 26-year-old looks set to be McKenna’s number one heading into the new campaign.
HITC Sport are predicting that McKenna will stick with his favoured 3-4-1-2 formation, but his team against Bolton will feature four new faces.
With no defensive reinforcements potentially coming through the Portman Road doors, McKenna will probably stick with his favoured three-man defence – Janoi Donacien, former Rangers man George Edmundson and Ipswich Town academy graduate Luke Woolfenden.
Only three teams conceded less goals than Ipswich (46) last season – MK Dons (44), Wigan Athletic (44) and Rotherham United (33).
McKenna will be hoping that his backline remains resolute, but the former United coach will no doubt be targeting further improvements.
Seven-time Egyptian international and club captain Samy Morsy will remain at the heart of McKenna’s midfield, but the former Middlesbrough man looks set to have a new partner in the engine room.
Morsy, who scored three goals and provided five assists in League One last season, could be joined by Dominic Ball who is joining Ipswich on a free transfer from Championship side Queens Park Rangers.
In his three seasons at Loftus Road, the two-time Northern Ireland Under-21 international played 99 times for The Rs.
Three-time Wales international Wes Burns, who will be targeting a place in Robert Page’s World Cup squad, will be hoping to kick on after experiencing the best season of his career.
From 37 League One games last season, the attack-minded right-wing back scored 12 goals and provided seven assists.
The former Fleetwood Town man could have Greg Leigh joining him in the wing-back department with the eight-time Jamaica international heading for Portman Road from fellow League One side Morecambe on a free transfer.
The former Manchester City youngster, who scored two goals and supplied four assists from 36 League One appearances last season, will be hoping to oust Matt Penney and become McKenna’s first-choice left wing-back.
Connor Chaplin who scored 11 goals in his first season for the Tractor Boys following his arrival from Barnsley is likely to play in-behind a potential two-man striker forward line.
With James Norwood leaving as a free agent and Macauley Bonne returning to QPR following a loan spell, McKenna has already signed two strikers.
Freddie Ladapo, who has one Premier League appearance to his name during his time at Crystal Palace, is set to join from promoted Rotherham.
The 29-year-old has scored 60 goals across the last four seasons and his goalscoring prowess could fire McKenna’s side to promotion.
Ipswich’s new main man could be joined up front by Arsenal youngster Tyreece John-Jules who has joined the Suffolk-based side on a season-long loan.
The two-time England Under-21 international spent part of last season on loan at Championship side Blackpool. He also scored five goals from 18 League One games when on loan at Doncaster Rovers in 2020-21.
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