Andy Woolmer News Today

Town boss Mick McCarthy has named the anticipated entirely changed XI for this evening’s FA Cup third round replay at League Two Portsmouth.

Town’s FA Cup run ended at the third round stage for the sixth successive year as the 10-man Blues were beaten 2-1 by League Two Portsmouth at Fratton Park. Former Blue Gary Roberts netted a penalty in the 32nd minute, then Marc McNulty added a second five minutes later to give Pompey a comfortable 2-0 half-time lead, then after the break Ainsley Maitland-Niles pulled one back before Piotr Malarczyk was sent off for two bookable offences.

Former Blue Gary Roberts netted a penalty in the 32nd minute and Marc McNulty added a second five minutes later to give Portsmouth a comfortable 2-0 lead over Town in their third round replay at Fratton Park at half-time.

Town boss Mick McCarthy believes League Two Portsmouth’s players will go into tonight’s FA Cup third round replay at Fratton Park expecting to beat the Blues having performed so well in the first game at Portman Road, which ended 2-2. McCarthy is set to field a young side and, as he did at Manchester United in the Capital One Cup earlier in the season, could even switch his entire XI.

Bali Mumba’s deflected injury-time goal grabbed a point for leaders Plymouth Argyle as the Blues and Pilgrims drew 1-1 at Portman Road, the on-loan Norwich mans strike levelling Wes Burns’s brilliant opener for Town. Both teams had hit the woodwork, the Blues through Marcus Harness and Argyle via Ryan Hardie, before Burns lashed a strike into the roof of the net from the right of the area from a Luke Woolfenden lay-off and Town looked on their way to three points until Mumba found the top co...

Town’s top-of-the-table game against Plymouth Argyle at Portman Road remains goalless at half-time.

Town welcome back Kevin Horlock from his knee injury and Dean McDonald from his loan spell at Hartlepool ahead the Christmas fixtures which start with the Boxing Day home game with Crystal Palace (KO 3pm).

Goals from Grant Ward, Luke Varney and Tom Lawrence saw Town to a 3-0 victory over QPR at Portman Road. Ward put the Blues ahead via a scuffed effort on 13, then Varney benefited from an error by visitors’ keeper Alex Smithies nine minutes after the break, before Lawrence sealed the win - which in the end could have been even more comfortable - on 61.

Town will be looking for their first home win in more than six months when the Paul Lambert era gets under way against Preston North End at Portman Road on Saturday, a match the new boss admits is huge in the fight to avoid the drop.

Boss Roy Keane is waiting on the fitness of Hungarian international keeper Márton Fülöp ahead of Saturday’s trip to his old club Nottingham Forest. Fülöp has a back injury and missed the Watford game in midweek, but Keane says he has no problem if Brian Murphy is again required between the sticks.