Ipswich Town host Birmingham City at Portman Road on Easter Monday (3pm)
16:36, 05 Apr 2026Updated 16:42, 05 Apr 2026
Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna
Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna believes the postponement of their game against Southampton on Good Friday is ‘a silver lining’ ahead of Easter Monday’s meeting with Birmingham City.
The promotion-chasing Tractor Boys will be well rested when Blues arrive at Portman Road tomorrow, fresh from a taxing defeat to Blackburn Rovers on Friday.
Ipswich watched the Championship action from afar without a game due to Southampton’s involvement in the FA Cup quarter-finals – the Saints defeated Arsenal 2-1 on Saturday to advance to Wembley’s semi-finals.
FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK! All the latest Blues news on Birmingham Live’s Birmingham City FC Facebook page
The prolonged break allowed McKenna to train with his full squad over the weekend, including key players who returned from international duty late, and a couple of Ipswich’s injured players have a chance of being involved too.
“I think we take the silver lining, which is the fact that the players who have been away on internationals (Dara O’Shea, Jack Taylor, Anis Mehmeti, George Hirst and Elkan Baggott) will at least have had a couple of days back training here with the group,” McKenna told the East Anglian Daily Times.
“And the extra couple of days maybe brings one or two players who have injuries back into contention (Wes Burns and Marcelino Nunez). So we’ll take the hand that we’ve been dealt.”
Ipswich and Blues played out a 1-1 draw at St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park on the opening day but their seasons have gone in very different directions.
Whilst Ipswich are competing for the promotion both teams craved, Blues are meandering to a mid-table finish after a run of five defeats in their past seven games.