Ipswich vs Huddersfield LIVE commentary: Tractor Boys need a point to secure promotion to the Premier League – kick-off time, team news and talkSPORT coverage

Ipswich will aim to secure their place in the Premier League when they host Huddersfield this afternoon, live exclusively on talkSPORT 2.

The Tractor Boys moved into pole position for automatic promotion in midweek after beating Coventry 2-1 to leapfrog Leeds into second.

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Kieran McKenna’s side needed to avoid defeat to move ahead of the Whites and they did just that, meaning they are just one point short of booking a place in the top flight.

They welcome the Terriers to Portman Road, with Andre Breitenreiter’s men already all but relegated, needing a 15-goal swing on the final day.

So Ipswich will be keen to get the job done and achieve an incredible feat by joining champions Leicester City in the Premier League.

Ipswich vs Huddersfield: Back-to-back promotions

Ipswich have the chance to become only the fifth team to move from League One to the Premier League in two seasons.

The last club to achieve this feat was Southampton between 2010 and 2012 under the management of Nigel Adkins, whom Mauricio Pochettino replaced after reaching the elite.

Tractor Boys’ bitter rivals Norwich also achieved back-to-back promotions between 2009 and 2011, when Paul Lambert was the hero in his first two seasons as manager.

Manchester City and Watford are the other two teams to do so, with Ipswich now set to join them.

In the entire English Football League, only 17 teams have achieved back-to-back promotions of any kind, showing what a rare feat this is.

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• Ipswich Town have won just one of their last seven league matches against Huddersfield Town (D3 L3), a 1-0 victory in February 2016 under Mick McCarthy.
• This is Huddersfield’s first visit to Ipswich in the league since October 2016, when they won 1-0 thanks to a Chris Schindler goal.

Ipswich vs Huddersfield: team news

Ipswich could be without Wes Burns after he was forced to be substituted against Coventry with a knock.

If Burns is ruled out, Jeremy Sarmiento, on loan from Brighton, could join the lineup while Conor Chaplin could also return to the team.

The only permanent absentees will be Brandon Williams and Janoi Donacien.

As for Huddersfield, Jonathan Hogg and Tom Leeds remain on the sidelines while Sorba Thomas is expected to start after coming off the bench last time out.

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• Huddersfield Town have won their final league game of the season in each of the last two seasons, beating Bristol City in 2021-22 and Reading in 2022-23. The Terriers did not finish a season with a victory in three consecutive years between 1991-92 and 1993-94.
• Excluding the 2019-20 season which was cut short early, Ipswich have not lost their final league game of the season since May 2017 against Nottingham Forest and are unbeaten in five games since on MD46 (W3 D2).

Ipswich vs Huddersfield: what was said?

Although Ipswich look set for promotion, manager McKenna doesn’t think getting over the line against Huddersfield will be easy.

He said: “I believe in them and I believe a lot in what we have done.

“The consistency we have shown, the way we prepare for matches, the way we focus throughout the matches and the way we assert our identity on the field gives us a great chance to win matches.

“I believe in it a lot, but it’s a football match, two teams in the same division, one of which was in a lower division the previous season.

“Anything can happen, I don’t expect it to be smooth sailing. There will definitely be some tension in the game, as there is when you’re fighting over things.

“But it will be about doing enough good things to help us stay on top.”

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• Ipswich Town have scored 57 league goals at home this season, the most by a team in a Championship campaign since Reading scored 58 in 2005-06. The last second-tier team to score more than 60 home goals in a single season was Man City in 2001-02 (63).

Ipswich vs Huddersfield: talkSPORT coverage

This championship clash will take place on Saturday May 4.

Kick-off at Portman Road is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.

talkSPORT 2 will have EXCLUSIVE live coverage of the game presented by Faye Carruthers.

Comments will come from Ian Danter and former England striker Dean Ashton.

Coverage will also include all the goals as they play out on the final day of the Championship season.

To tune into talkSPORT 2 via the website, click HERE for the live stream.

You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, via your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.