Kieran McKenna has conceded that his Ipswich Town side is going to need to show a ‘huge amount of character’ if they are to secure automatic promotion back to the Premier League – starting tonight when they travel to Charlton Athletic.
The Tractor Boys head to The Valley three points adrift of second-placed Millwall with two games in hand on the London side.
And after facing Charlton, Ipswich will head to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday and then Southampton on Tuesday night.
Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna. Picture: Barry Goodwin
It is a seven-day period that McKenna believes is going to be defining to his team’s chances of going up as part of the top two.
He said: “It’s a team (Charlton) who beat us earlier in the season, so we know what they’re capable of, and another game where we’re going to have to go away to a team who are probably looking for that one last result to keep them over the dotted line and we know the challenges that that will bring. It’s up to us to be ready for that and go and take that on.
“We know they’re a team that can threaten us, we know where we’re at as a team and my real feeling is that over the six days we’re going to have to show a huge amount of character and take some big steps forward if we want to be successful.”
Winger Wes Burns could return to the squad against Charlton following a recent lay-off with a calf injury.