Ipswich team news: Dunk set to return

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Charlie Hanson

2025-01-14T11:00+00:00

Lewis Dunk has made 15 Premier League appearances this campaign. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

Albion will look to end a winless run of eight Premier League games when they take on Ipswich Town on Thursday, kick-off 7.30pm.

Team news

Diego Gomez could be involved on Thursday night. 📷 by James Boardman.

On Lewis Dunk, "I think Lewis will be back, he will train today (Tuesday). Adam [Webster] is there, JP [van Hecke] is there, so these are the three centre backs that are available.

On Joao Pedro, "We have to see today if he will train with the team, then we will decide. We won't take any risk, only if it's a calculated risk and if he feels well. That's the most important thing, that the player feels confident with his body. We won't do any stupid things, but we have to wait for the training session [on Tuesday] and maybe also tomorrow."

On Jack Hinshelwood, Mats Wieffer and Evan Ferguson, "Jack [Hinshelwood] will train. I'm not sure if he will be available. Mats Wieffer will be back soon. Evan Ferguson is back on the pitch, but I'm not sure if it's too early for them being back on the pitch. But they're going through a good process and hopefully they will be back soon."

On Georginio and Yankuba Minteh, "There we have to wait. I can't say any clear message about them because we have to see if they are able to train on Tuesday. We have to see if they're able to train tomorrow, also how their body reacts. They had a small issue after the game, but it's not that big. So there we have to really go day by day."

On Diego Gomez, "He is an option."

Fabian's thoughts

On Ipswich's Liam Delap, "At my former club we heard that he's a special talent, when he played for Manchester City in the youth team and he had impressive performances. I think he is the whole package. He's so young and he also works with his body like an experienced striker.

"He's fast. He's very athletic. He has good skills with the ball. He has a good shot. He can finish the attack. He’s a big, big weapon. It's a big danger what Ipswich have with him, but Ipswich don’t just rely on Delap. I think their team can play out from the back."

On Ipswich, "I think they're quite stable at the moment, they're playing very efficiently and they're playing a very effective style.

"They defend in a low block, they try to go for transition, but also in possession they have clear patterns. So I really like Kieran McKenna's working there and I enjoy seeing his development and I enjoy also what he achieved with Ipswich so far. It's very impressive. I'm really looking forward to competing against Ipswich and against him."

Match facts

This is Ipswich’s first home league game against Brighton since a 0-0 draw in the Championship in September 2016, and first in the top-flight since a 2-0 win in January 1983.

Highlights from Ipswich Town's visit to the Amex.

Albion are winless in their last four league games against Ipswich, with each of the last three finishing level (L1). There have been just three goals scored across these four games (2 for Ipswich, 1 for Brighton).

Ipswich have picked up as many points (4) and scored as many goals (4) in their last two Premier League games as they had in their previous seven beforehand.

Each of our last four Premier League games have ended level. The last side to draw five successive matches in the competition were Fulham from December 2020 to January 2021, while the Seagulls last drew five league fixtures in a row in April 2000 when they were a fourth-tier side under Micky Adams.

Ipswich have had fewer shots from open play (122) than any other side in the Premier League this season, while their open play expected goals figure of 13.1 is also a league low.

Albion are winless in eight Premier League games (D6 L2), their longest such run since going 11 without victory from September to December 2021 under Graham Potter – a run they ended with a win over a newly promoted side (2-0 v Brentford).

Excluding own goals, 68% of Ipswich’s Premier League goals this season have been scored by English players (13/19), the highest ratio of any side.

Liam Delap has eight goals in 19 Premier League games this season, as many as he netted in 31 Championship appearances for Hull last season. Indeed, it’s the most goals by an English player in a promoted side’s first 20 matches of a Premier League campaign since Patrick Bamford’s 11 for Leeds in 2020-21.

Only Alex Iwobi (118) has played more progressive passes in the Premier League in 2024-25 than Jan Paul van Hecke (111), whose average of 6.6 per 90 is the most of any player to play 1,000+ minutes in the division this season.

Julio Enciso is averaging 3.4 shots on target per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season, the highest rate of any player to play at least 90 minutes in the competition this term. He’s yet to score so far however, having more shots on target without scoring than anyone else (11).

Match officials