Ipswich Town return to the Premier League at the first attempt on Saturday afternoon, hosting a Sunderland side who defied every expectation on their own return to the top flight last season.
Gary O’Neil takes charge of his first competitive match since replacing Kieran McKenna, whose four-year spell delivered back-to-back promotions before ending in disappointment.
Régis Le Bris, by contrast, arrives with his position thoroughly secure after guiding Sunderland to seventh place and Europa League qualification — only the second time in the club’s history it has reached European competition. Ipswich have spent heavily to prepare for this level again; Sunderland have spent almost nothing at all.
Ipswich Town vs Sunderland – Match preview and team news
- Date: Saturday, 22 August 2026
- Kick-off: 15:00 BST
- Venue: Portman Road
- Referee: Farai Hallam
- VAR: Nicholas Hopton
- Last meeting: Ipswich Town 2–1 Sunderland, EFL Championship
Team news
Ipswich Town
O’Neil has two fitness concerns to monitor in midfield. Azor Matusiwa and Jack Taylor are both doubts, with Taylor managing a knee issue picked up in pre-season. Beyond that, the squad is in good health following a summer rebuild that brought in Julio Enciso, Emersonn, Abdul Fatawu, Abdoul Ouattara and Sasa Lukic among others. Jack Clarke, who scored 16 goals last season, remains central to the attacking plan regardless of the new arrivals around him.
Sunderland
Le Bris confirmed a significant fitness boost this week, with Thomas Meunier, Omar Alderete and Nordi Mukiele all available for selection after respective issues. The manager was careful to note, however, that the trio may not be risked from the start given limited match sharpness. Simon Adingra remains the club’s only confirmed absentee, sidelined with an ankle injury sustained against Wrexham and roughly halfway through an estimated six-week recovery.
Form
Ipswich Town
The scale of Ipswich’s summer investment — reported to be in excess of £100m — reflects the lessons learned from an immediate relegation the last time they were promoted. O’Neil inherits a squad that finished last season unbeaten across its final five matches, sealing automatic promotion with a 3–0 win over QPR. Pre-season form has been encouraging, with wins in four of their last five friendlies.
Sunderland
Le Bris’s side head into the new campaign carrying genuine momentum after a seventh-place finish built more on defensive solidity than attacking firepower — they scored the fourth-fewest goals in the division last season despite their lofty finish. The lack of squad turnover this summer suggests confidence in the group that overperformed so significantly, though balancing Europa League commitments with a demanding league schedule represents a new test entirely.
Predicted lineups
Ipswich Town predicted XI (4-3-3): Scherpen; Ouattara, O’Shea, Diop, Davis; Nunez, Lukic, Egeli; Fatawu, Emersonn, Maeda
Sunderland predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Roefs; Meunier, Ballard, O’Nien, Reinildo; Sadiki, Xhaka; Hume, Le Fee, Angulo; Brobbey
How to watch Ipswich Town vs Sunderland?
This match is not expected to be broadcast live on television in the United Kingdom, in line with the traditional Saturday 3pm blackout.
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