The U's Matchzone

Preview: League One – Oxford United vs Ipswich Town

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Oxford United will be looking to bounce back from back to back league defeats when they welcome Ipswich Town on Tuesday night.

Karl Robinson’s side lost 3-1 at home against league leaders Rotherham United on Saturday and suffered a 1-0 defeat at Doncaster Rovers on New Year’s Day.

Meanwhile, Ipswich won 4-1 against Accrington Stanley at the weekend, which followed their 1-1 draw at Wycombe on New Year’s Day.

Before their win over Stanley, the Tractor Boys had failed to win in ten games in all competitions, losing four.

Oxford headed into their defeat against Rotherham with the joint best defence in League  – alongside Ipswich – but conceded their first league goals at home since August.

Ipswich haven’t won on the road since an FA Cup first round replay at Lincoln in late November, with their last league win on their travels coming at Rochdale at the start of the same month.

Robinson is likely to rotate his squad from the game on Saturday and could hand a first start to new signings Liam Kelly, Nathan Holland and Marcus Browne, with the latter two coming on at half time against the Millers.

Browne, who spent last season on loan with the U’s, scored the consolation goal against Rotherham.

The U’s top scorer James Henry remains sidelined, but Matty Taylor, Tariqe Fosu and Cameron Brannagan have scored 26 between them.

Kayden Jackson scored his eighth goal of the season, James Norwood his tenth and Will Keane his fifth in the win over Stanley, while former U’s loanee Luke Garbutt has also netted six.

Alan Judge, who also scored in the Stanley win, has provided four assists, while Jackson has added an impressive six.

These two sides haven’t met since 1999 and the Tractor Boys are unbeaten in the last four meetings, with the U’s winning just twice from their last eleven encounters.

Predicted line-up: Simon Eastwood, Josh Ruffels, John Mousinho, Rob Dickie, Sam Long, Alex Rodriguez Gorrin, Cameron Brannagan, Liam Kelly, Nathan Holland, Marcus BrowneMatty Taylor.

Prediction: Oxford United 1-0 Ipswich Town

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