Ipswich Town host Leicester City in the Carabao Cup second round on Tuesday, with Gary O’Neil’s Premier League side facing a Leicester team adjusting to life in League One following relegation.
It is the first meeting between the clubs since Ipswich’s promotion took them two divisions above their opponents, and the first competitive fixture between the sides since a goalless draw at Portman Road in March.
The tie also doubles as a reunion for two familiar Ipswich exports. Wes Burns and Conor Chaplin left Portman Road for Leicester this summer, Burns for a nominal £75,000 after five years and 30 goals in Suffolk, Chaplin as a free-transfer departure following his release. Abdul Fatawu made the reverse journey, joining Ipswich from Leicester for an initial £20 million.
Ipswich arrive on the back of a dramatic 2-1 Premier League-opening win over Sunderland, while Leicester have taken one point from their opening two League One fixtures and needed a red card and a two-goal collapse to make Saturday’s home defeat to Burton Albion sting even more than the scoreline suggested.
Ipswich Town vs Leicester City – Match preview and team news
- Date: Tuesday, 25 August 2026
- Kick-off: 19:45 BST
- Venue: Portman Road
- Referee: Lewis Smith
- Last meeting: Ipswich Town 0-0 Leicester City, Championship, March 2026
Team news
Ipswich Town
Christian Walton remains sidelined by the foot injury that has kept him out since pre-season, with Kjell Scherpen deputising in goal. Florentino Luis and Azor Matusiwa are both doubts in midfield, Matusiwa still working back from the muscle injury that required surgery at the end of last season. Fatawu, who missed the final pre-season friendly for undisclosed reasons before starting against Sunderland, has no fresh fitness concerns.
Leicester City
Oliver Skipp begins a three-match suspension for the straight red card he picked up against Burton Albion, with Hamza Choudhury the confirmed deputy in central midfield. Jayden Joseph missed that Burton defeat with a foot problem sustained in the win at Notts County, with Bade Aluko deputising at right-back and expected to continue there. Stephy Mavididi was also left out of the Burton squad entirely, his situation linked by manager Russell Martin to ongoing transfer interest, with Will Alves retaining the wide role in his absence.
Form
Ipswich Town
O’Neil’s competitive start at Portman Road brought an immediate reward, Emersonn opening the scoring before Jack Clarke’s stoppage-time winner sealed victory over Sunderland. Pre-season had been mixed, with defeats to Osasuna and Oxford United either side of O’Neil’s arrival before four consecutive wins closed out the summer schedule. The manager has signalled he will rotate but not weaken his side for this tie, calling his squad options genuinely strong throughout.
Leicester City
Martin’s first season in League One has opened unevenly: a 1-1 draw at Notts County followed by Saturday’s 1-2 home defeat to Burton Albion, in which Leicester fell two goals behind inside half an hour before Skipp’s dismissal compounded the afternoon. Their only win of the campaign came in the Carabao Cup first round against Northampton Town. Leicester are unbeaten in their last six away matches across all competitions, a contrasting thread of form to their troubled start domestically.
Predicted lineups
Ipswich Town predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Scherpen; O’Shea, Diop, Greaves, Davis; Nunez, Lukic; Fatawu, Enciso, Maeda; Emersonn
Leicester City predicted XI (4-1-4-1): McCarthy; Aluko, Souttar, Okoli, Thomas; Choudhury; Burns, Braybrooke, Cullen, Alves; Bristric
How to watch Ipswich Town vs Leicester City?
The match will be broadcast live in the United Kingdom on Sky Sports+.
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