With a win over Leicester City this weekend, Ipswich Town will try to maintain pressure on Middlesbrough in the race for automatic promotion to the Premier League.

Ipswich are third in the league going into the game against the Foxes, and they’re in a good mood after winning their last three Championship matches.

That remarkable run of results has brought them within three points of Middlesbrough, and with a game in hand, Kieran McKenna’s team has every opportunity of re-entering the top flight at the first time of asking after being relegated last season.

They’ll face Leicester City, who are fighting to avoid relegation from the Championship after a six-point deduction earlier this season.

The Foxes have gone winless in their previous nine second-tier matches and are currently in the Championship relegation zone, which will be a source of anxiety for their fans coming into the final 11 games of the 2025/26 season.

Some key players from both clubs may be ruled out of this weekend’s showdown at Portman Road, and we’ll go over the significant absentees.

Jaden Philogene

Jaden Philogene is the first Ipswich player to miss the match against Leicester, having suffered a knee injury against Blackburn Rovers in January.

In an earlier update, Kieran McKenna stated that the club’s medical experts are working to “rebuild him up” for the promotion run-in.We’re trying to rebuild him following his setback, but he hasn’t returned to the group yet.

McKenna confirmed during a pre-match news conference on Friday that Philogene is making progress in his recuperation but will not play against Leicester this weekend.

Philogene has 10 goals for Ipswich this season and will play an important role in their promotion campaign whenever he returns from his injury layoff.

Conor Townsend

The full-back hasn’t played a competitive game for Ipswich this season after suffering a catastrophic ACL injury in a pre-season friendly against French club Auxerre.

Townsend has lots of Championship experience and would have been a valuable option for Kieran McKenna in the promotion run-in, but he is unlikely to return to the squad anytime soon as he continues his recuperation.

Ashley Young

The seasoned and versatile defender has not been seen in an Ipswich matchday squad since a brief outing against Bristol City in January, when it was found that his hip injury was worse than previously thought.

McKenna confirmed in a pre-match press conference that the former England international will miss this weekend’s match against Leicester.

Young arrived for Ipswich in July 2025 and has made 15 appearances in all competitions, though it remains to be seen whether he will add to that total before the 2025/26 league season ends.

Asmir Begovic

Begovic has made eleven appearances in all competitions for Leicester this season, although an ankle injury forced him to miss the defeat to Norwich City. It appears unlikely that the seasoned shot-stopper will be available to face promotion-chasing Ipswich this Saturday.

Gary Rowett, Leicester’s manager, confirmed in a pre-match press conference that he believes Begovic will miss the match against the Tractor Boys.

“Bego, I believe, rolled his ankle during the warm-up. It’s an ankle strain that will keep him out for some time.

“He wants to try and accelerate that. As you’d expect, he’s a terrific professional who wants to strap it up and get out there, but he’s now in a boot, so he’ll be out for a few weeks.

Harry Souttar

Souttar has suffered numerous injuries in the last year and has yet to appear for Leicester in the 2025/26 season, which will be upsetting because he believes he can help them avoid relegation.

The center defender ruptured his Achilles tendon in December 2024, and the club and Gary Rowett have yet to establish a recovery date for the Australian international.

Hamza Choudhury

Choudhury is a versatile option that Rowett could undoubtedly use given his hectic schedule from now to the end of the league season, but he is still ruled out of this weekend’s game against Ipswich.

The Bangladeshi international suffered a knee injury in the first half of Leicester’s 2-0 defeat against fellow relegation contenders Charlton Athletic.

Choudhury has made a total of 24 appearances for Leicester this season, and fans will be hoping to see him return as soon as possible.

Aaron Ramsey

The Burnley loanee’s stint at the King Power Stadium has been marred by a series of injuries, which will have hampered his progress.

The midfielder has missed two spells with a hamstring injury, and Ramsey has not appeared in a Leicester matchday squad since a brief appearance in a 2-1 victory over Derby County in December 2025.