On Saturday, Ipswich Town will face Queens Park Rangers at Portman Road in the Championship season’s last day, with the goal of gaining promotion to Premier League.

Ipswich missed an opportunity to effectively seal promotion when they were held to a 2-2 draw by Southampton at St Mary’s on Friday night. While the Saints are now out of the top two race, they are only one point ahead of third-placed Millwall and two points ahead of fourth-placed Middlesbrough heading into the final day.

Wes Burns put the Tractor Boys ahead in the 48th minute, but goals from Ryan Manning and Cyle Larin turned the game around for the hosts. Despite having a number of late chances, Kieran McKenna’s men were unable to find the winner that would have all but confirmed their return to the top flight.

QPR sat as high as seventh in the table in mid-December, but the West London club has had a poor second half of the season, winning only six of their past 23 league games and dropping out of play-off contention and into mid-table.

The R’s have gone winless in their previous five games, and they were defeated 3-2 by Derby County at Loftus Road on Saturday, but Julien Stephan’s side could still finish in the top half with a win this weekend.

Ahead of what promises to be a nerve-racking afternoon in Suffolk, these are the Ipswich and QPR players who will be absent.

David Button, Ipswich Town

Goalkeeper David Button joined Ipswich on a free transfer in the summer after leaving League One side Reading, however he has yet to make a single game for them.

Button has not been in the matchday squad since mid-February, and he has been sidelined in recent weeks owing to a calf issue, but with Christian Walton and Alex Palmer available, McKenna will not be concerned.

Ashley Young, Ipswich Town

Ashley Young joined Ipswich in July after leaving Everton, but he has only made 15 appearances in all competitions this season, the latest of which came in mid-January.

The 40-year-old revealed on Thursday that he will retire at the conclusion of the season, but after missing the last three months due to a hip flexor injury, it is unclear whether he will be able to make one final appearance on Saturday.

Conor Townsend, Ipswich Town

Conor Townsend, a defender, joined Ipswich from West Bromwich Albion in the summer of 2024, and he proved to be an excellent backup to Leif Davis at left-back during his first season at Portman Road.

However, Townsend has been sidelined for the entire season after suffering a major ACL injury in pre-season, and with his contract set to expire in the summer, it is unclear whether he will play again for the Tractor Boys.

Jack Taylor, Ipswich Town

Taylor, who was relegated to a bit-part role during his first two years at the club, has emerged as a crucial player for Ipswich this season, scoring two goals and giving four assists in 41 appearances across all competitions.

Taylor, on the other hand, was a surprising absentee for Tuesday night’s stalemate at Southampton, with McKenna stating after the game that the 27-year-old was unavailable owing to swelling in his knee, and he will be evaluated before Saturday’s encounter.

Ziyad Larkeche – QPR

Defender Ziyad Larkeche has battled to establish himself since joining Loftus Road in 2023, but after a successful loan spell at Scottish Premiership club Dundee last season, he would have hoped this would be his breakthrough year.

Unfortunately for Larkeche, he has missed much of the season after suffering an ACL injury in August, and QPR will have to make a huge choice about the 23-year-old’s future when his contract ends this summer.

Kwame Poku, QPR

After his eye-catching period at Peterborough United, QPR’s recruitment of winger Kwame Poku for £900,000 plus add-ons appeared to be a major coup.

However, Poku’s debut season at Loftus Road has been extremely difficult, with only 16 appearances, and while the extent of his muscle damage is unknown, Stephan revealed last week that he was likely “finished for the season”.

Karamoko Dembele – QPR

Dembele, who spent last season on loan at Loftus Road from French club Brest, made a permanent transfer to QPR in the summer, scoring one goal and providing one assist in 29 games before sustaining an ACL injury in late January.

Dembele is currently in the early phases of his recovery after requiring surgery, and it is unclear whether he will be ready for the start of pre-season, with no timetable for his comeback available.

Rumarn Burrell, QPR

Striker Rumarn Burrell had a fantastic start to life at QPR after joining from League One club Burton Albion in the summer, scoring 10 goals and providing three assists before the beginning of January, but his progress has slowed in recent months due to injuries.

Burrell returned from three months out with a hamstring injury in Saturday’s defeat to Derby, but despite being pulled off 17 minutes after coming on as a replacement, Stephan argued that it was “not a bad injury” and that the 25-year-old simply needed “two or three weeks to recover.”