Burnley have been, by some distance, the best side in the Championship this season, and the Clarets look destined for a return to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
Indeed, Vincent Kompany’s side are currently top of the second tier on 65 points, seven points clear of second-placed Sheffield United and 17 ahead of third-placed Middlesbrough with a game in hand.
Only a stunning collapse will prevent Burnley from returning to the Premier League for next season, and there is no question that the league is their priority this term, but a cup run is always good for confidence, and they have the chance to make the fifth round of the competition, which would see them face either Sheffield Wednesday or Fleetwood Town.
Kompany’s team will enter this match off the back of a 3-0 victory over Norwich City in the Championship on Saturday, while they have already claimed an impressive scalp in this season’s FA Cup, recording a 4-2 victory over Premier League side Bournemouth in the third round.
Burnley, who famously won the FA Cup in 1914, last beat Ipswich in April 2014, recording a 1-0 victory when the two teams locked horns in the Championship, but the last two meetings have both been draws.
While Burnley are bidding to secure a return to the Premier League, Ipswich firmly have their eyes on the Championship for next season, with the team currently sitting third in the League One table, picking up 55 points from their opening 29 games of the season.
The Tractor Boys, who are six points off both Sheffield Wednesday and Plymouth Argyle in first and second respectively, were held to a 1-1 draw by Cambridge United on Saturday afternoon.
Kieran McKenna’s side have actually only won one of their last five games in all competitions, but they have had to win three games to reach this stage of the FA Cup, beating Bracknell Town, Buxton and Rotherham Town in the first, second and third round respectively.
Ipswich, like Burnley, will be prioritising the league, but they impressed in the first fixture between the two sides on January 28, with the Championship leaders held to a goalless draw.
The Tractor Boys have a huge League One fixture at home to Sheffield Wednesday next Saturday, so it will be fascinating to see how the team approach this match
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Burnley will be without the services of Benson Manuel, Arijanet Muric and Taylor Harwood-Bellis through injury, while Jay Rodriguez is unlikely to be available due to a knock.Head coach Kompany will ring the changes following the clash with
Norwich on Saturday, with Vitinho, Charlie Taylor, Scott Twine and Darko Churlinov among those set to come into the side.Should Rodriguez miss out.
Ashley Barnes could play through the middle, with Nathan Tella potentially moving into a wide area for the Championship leaders.As for Ipswich, head coach McKenna will also shuffle his pack
following the 1-1 draw with Cambridge.Marcus Harness and George Hirst were both second-half substitutes in the league on Saturday but should come into the starting XI for this match.
There will also be a change between the sticks, with Vaclav Hladky set to come in for Christian Walton, and it would not be a shock to see the same side that took to the field for the first whistle of the clash with Burnley on January 28.
