Ipswich Town will welcome Rotherham United to Suffolk this weekend as FA Cup third round action returns to Portman Road on Saturday afternoon.
The hosts will be taking part in the third round for the first time since relegation to League One in 2019, having breezed past non-league opposition in Bracknell Town and Buxton so far this campaign.
The Tractor Boys, winners of the competition in 1978, have been knocked out in each of their last nine third round appearances and have not progressed beyond this stage since 2010.
Similarly, Rotherham have been knocked out at this stage in seven of the last eight seasons, failing to reach the fourth round since 2002.
The Millers fell at this hurdle in a thrilling penalty shootout against Queens Park Rangers last season, and enter the competition at this stage having been promoted to the Championship under former boss Paul Warne last campaign.
Ipswich, looking to emulate Rotherham’s success last season, have dropped to third in the League One table following away draws at Portsmouth and Lincoln City either side of the new year.
The visitors are also looking for their first win of 2023 after defeat to Millwall on New Year’s Day left the club 21st in the Championship and just a point above the relegation zone after a run of just one win in 12 matches.
Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna is enjoying his first season as a manager in the FA Cup after being appointed immediately after the Tractor Boys’ exit from the competition at Barrow in December 2021.
McKenna acknowledged that the fight for promotion to the Championship is the main goal this season but said a competitive squad will take to the pitch against Rotherham this weekend.
"We know we have bigger priorities this season if we're honest,” he said. “Our focus needs to be on the bigger picture. We've had a really busy spell and we're going to need to use the squad.
"There are certain players who have played almost every minute for months now and we will use this as an opportunity to rest them.
“The squad will be a senior one, we’ll respect the competition, we’ll respect the game, respect the difficulty of the opponent and it will be a first-team group that share the minutes and the subs’ bench.
"It will be a competitive team and I know that the boys will be hungry to show what they can do and can hopefully put ourselves in the next round.”
Rotherham may be seen by some as a match for Ipswich to test themselves against a second-tier opponent as the club bid to regain their status at that level next season.
However, McKenna disagrees and sees the clash with the Millers as little more than a cup tie against strong opposition.
He said: “It would be nice to be through to the next round. Of course, we’re playing a team in the Championship and a team who did very well in this division last year.
“But I don’t see it as a huge marker for us, to be honest. How we’ve arrived at the game and the condition of the squad and the nature of what we’re going to do with our selection, I don’t see it as this being a big marker of how we match up against a Championship team.
“I see it as a good game for us against a tough opponent at home in the third round of the FA Cup.”
Rotherham manager Matt Taylor has overseen 16 league matches since arriving from Exeter City in October and heads into this weekend preparing for his first cup match as Millers boss.
Taylor says the change of competition will allow a bit of respite for his players following a hectic Championship schedule over Christmas.
“We’ve got a bit of a break this weekend from the pressures of the league,” he said. “Hopefully we can go out and put in a positive performance.
“Getting the players back and getting their belief back goes hand in hand. If we get the players back, we’ll have more successful moments.
“Whether that be a goal, a clean sheet, or a win. There’s only one thing we can do in that situation and that is rolling our sleeves up and putting ourselves out there.”
Taylor apportioned much of the blame for Rotherham’s run of form on himself but added that the squad need to remain hungry for success.
He said: "It's my responsibility for the way we're functioning at the moment and the players still have to find a way of finding that love for the game.
“I want the players to keep putting themselves forward, which I know is difficult when things aren’t going your way.”
Taylor also gave opponents Ipswich a great deal of praise as the Millers take on a side that they have had great success over in recent years.
“They are a different animal from the last couple of years and are a serious contender in that league,” Taylor said of the Blues.
“It is a big football club as well, so as much as they are a league below, they are an ex-Premier League team with a big fan base.
“It is an FA Cup tie and a competition and one we feel passionate about. We want to use this competition to help the players take a little bit of weight off their shoulders and hopefully that will free us up to play our best football.”
Team news
Ipswich Town
Ipswich, while improving on the injury front, have spent much of the last week or so managing somewhat of an illness crisis, with McKenna explaining how essentially the whole squad have been affected by the bug.
Much of the squad have been playing through illness against Portsmouth and Lincoln, with Janoi Donacien forced off while feeling unwell at Sincil Bank with Leif Davis and George Edmundson missing the trip altogether.
“It’s been a tricky few days,” McKenna said. “I’ve not experienced anything like it in terms of an illness bug going through a group.
“There’s only maybe one or two players at this point who haven’t had quite severe symptoms.
“We’ve had a couple more off in the last few days, there’s a lot of players and staff who are on antibiotics now to try and clear it. It’s not quite cleared the group yet.”
McKenna does feel, however, that the worst of the issue has now passed and the squad are on a road towards full health again.
He said: “We’re in a better position than we were a few days ago and some of those who were unavailable a few days ago are now better.
“We’re hopefully getting towards the end of it, but it’s been a really difficult situation and the players have trooped through it as well as possible, but it’s been a big challenge and we’re still in the middle of that challenge.
“We’re hopeful that by the start of next week, the last few players who have picked it up later on will be coming out of the back end of it.”
The Blues could hand a second debut to Massimo Luongo, who rejoined the club on Thursday following the end of his contract at Middlesbrough.
The Australian international has been training with the club for a few weeks and McKenna says he should feature at some point if the former loanee isn’t given a starting berth.
“He’ll be in the squad,” McKenna confirmed. “We’ll have to make a decision on minutes because he hasn’t had too many competitive minutes.
“He’s played some U21 games and has been training very well but he hasn’t had too many competitive starts lately.
“We just need to be careful a little bit with minutes. If he doesn’t start, then there’s a good chance we’ll see him off the bench.”
Dominic Ball (knee), Tyreece John-Jules (hamstring) and Panutche Camara (groin) are all long-term absentees.
Rotherham United
Rotherham have been dealing with injury concerns in recent weeks with as many as half a dozen players facing a spell on the sidelines.
Defender Lee Peltier and top scorer Chiedozie Ogbene both missed the defeat at Millwall, but Taylor confirmed both will face late fitness tests ahead of possible involvement against Ipswich.
“We’ve had a few extra bodies on the pitch with Chieo and Lee returning to training, so that is a positive,” he said.
“It is always a good sign for bodies to come back, whether we can use them at the weekend is a different question, but is always nice to have the options.
“We’ll assess Lee and Chieo ahead of the weekend, but we have to consider the importance of the league game against Blackburn the following weekend.
“We will make a sensible decision on those two in the next 24 hours.”
Taylor also gave an update on goalkeeper Josh Vickers and key midfielder Ben Wiles, who underwent ankle surgery on Tuesday and is likely to miss the remainder of the season.
He said: “Aside from Ben and Josh, there is no one out for the long-term and hopefully it stays that way.
“Shane Ferguson is an example of someone who has spent the last few weeks in the physio room and now he is back and selectable.
“He’s played a couple of games and looked really bright, and he’s added to the quality we’ve had in training.
“We’re looking forward to our squad strengthening as time goes on in terms of players returning and we know that we’ll have an opportunity to add players in the transfer window.”
Georgie Kelly (calf) and Grant Hall (hamstring) are recovering but will not be available for a few more weeks, while Tom Eaves is unavailable after being forced off last Thursday.
Scott High is unlikely to feature as he is set to be recalled from his loan spell by Huddersfield Town.
Likely lineups
Ipswich Town (4-2-3-1): Hladky; Leigh, Burgess, Keogh, Vincent-Young; Humphreys, Luongo; Jackson, Aluko (c), Edwards; Ladapo.
Rotherham United (3-4-2-1): Johansson; McCart, Wood (c), Harding; Bramall, Odoffin, Douglas, Kioso; Rathbone, Lindsay; Washington.
Key players
Freddie Ladapo
Freddie Ladapo is a name that will need little introduction to Rotherham supporters having scored 41 goals in 123 appearances and earning two promotions in three years at the New York Stadium.
The frontman has scored 10 goals for Ipswich this season, including one against Bracknell in the earlier rounds of the FA Cup.
The 29-year-old entered double figures by scoring the opener in the Blues’ last home match against Oxford United on Boxing Day.
If selected, Ipswich’s number nine will be facing his former employers for the first time since his move to Suffolk on a free transfer last summer.
Oliver Rathbone
Oliver Rathbone has been a staple in the Rotherham midfield since signing from Rochdale in 2021.
The 26-year-old has usually been deployed in an advanced role alongside Jamie Lindsay behind the centre-forward in Taylor’s system.
The Millers man has three goals this season, the most recent came against Ipswich’s East Anglian rivals Norwich City in November.
A former youth player at Manchester United, Rathbone acts as a ball-winner in midfield and a lack of options means he could well feature again at Portman Road.
Form guide
Ipswich, involved in a League One promotion race, have lost just two of their last 14 matches in all competitions.
The Tractor Boys have recorded seven wins in that time.
Despite their FA Cup struggles over the last 13 years, the hosts have lost just one of their last seven home ties inside 90 minutes.
Rotherham, meanwhile, have lost four of their five matches since returning from a brief break for the FIFA World Cup. They have also conceded 13 goals in that time.
During that spell, their three trips on the road have all been lost to nil.
The Yorkshire outfit have only won one away FA Cup match at Football League opposition since 2000.
Head-to-head
Rotherham have won the last four meetings between the sides, and all have come with clean sheets.
The visitors have also lost just one of the last nine matches against the Blues.
Remarkably, Ipswich have scored just one goal across the last seven games against the Millers.
This will be the first ever cup match between the sides.
Match details
Where is the game being played?
Portman Road will play host to this clash, the home of Ipswich Town since 1884.
What time is kick-off?
The match will kick off at 15:00 GMT on Saturday, January 7.
How can I watch?
The match will not be available to watch on television.
Highlights will be available to watch in the United Kingdom on the BBC and globally on social media the following day.
