Town travel to Rotherham United for Tuesday’s rearranged live-on-Sky game aiming to gain ground on leaders Leicester City and pull away from Leeds United in third.

The Blues, who took their new club record unbeaten away league run to 16 matches via Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Birmingham, sit four points behind the Foxes and seven points in front of the Whites going into the tomorrow’s match, which is their game in hand.

The match was originally set to be played on Friday 20th October but was called off three hours before its scheduled start after the River Don broke its banks due to Storm Babet.

Rotherham are currently third-bottom of the Championship on 10 points from 14 games - one place higher than when the fixture was originally set to take place - having finished 19th last season.

They have won twice in the league at the New York Stadium during 2023/24 - a 2-1 success against Norwich City at the start of September and a 2-0 defeat of Coventry late last month - and have lost two and drawn three, including Saturday’s 1-1 stalemate with fellow strugglers QPR.

They also recorded an on-penalties victory over League Two Morecambe in the Carabao Cup first round following a 1-1 draw.

The Millers go into Tuesday’s match with the victory over the Sky Blues their only win in nine games.

Only two teams have scored fewer than Rotherham’s 13 goals in the Championship this season, while just Norwich City, 30, have conceded more than their total of 27, nine at home and 16 away.

The last four Town matches at the New York Stadium have all ended in 1-0 victories to the home side and manager Kieran McKenna is again anticipating a difficult match despite the current disparity in the sides’ relative positions.

“Obviously we’ve prepped the game twice now,” he told TownTV. “We’ve had a really good look at them and their strengths are clear, they’re a really strong team at home, that was apparent when we were going to play them last time they were competitive and picking up points in pretty much every home game.

“Since the break, they’ve beaten Coventry on a night game and they’ve got the draw on Saturday against QPR.

“We know it’s a really tough place to go. We know that they like to make the games really physical, really intense at their stadium.

“And we know we’re going to have to stand up to that and we’re going to have to play really well to come out on top.

“We’re fully aware of the scale of the challenge but it’s another one to look forward to. We want to be taking these challenges head on and going their on a Tuesday night with the supporters behind us, it’s going to be a really good game.”

McKenna praised the contribution of the Blues support as his side came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at Birmingham on Saturday and again believes the fans getting behind the players will play a role.

“It’s been a massive part of the good away record that we’ve had,” he added. “We’re going to need that again and it’s so important for us and we appreciate that some supporters maybe are going to be making the journey twice, so as much as that’s frustrating for us, it’s more so for them and we’ll do everything we can to show the resilience and the character and the quality that we’re going to need to hopefully get a result they can enjoy.”

Rotherham are now under the management of former Exeter City boss Matt Taylor following Paul Warne’s departure after six years in charge in September 2022.

Speaking prior to the game’s initial date, McKenna was asked whether the Millers are significantly different following the change of manager.

“Probably more system-wise,” he reflected. “I think in the second half of last season, they played more of a 4-3-3 and they've carried that on for most of the games this year.

“But they're pretty versatile between playing a back four and a back five. Even in the Southampton game [at St Mary’s before the international break, which ended 1-1] they started with a back four and made the change after less than half an hour to a back five that helped them get the result. 

“We know that they're pretty versatile and they've got maybe a little bit more pace in one-v-ones than they had maybe this time last year in the wide areas, but they've also still got the direct threat.

“An opponent that we fully respect, they've got a year's extra experience than us in the division and we'll have to go there and play well for sure.”

Quizzed on the importance of Rotherham skipper Jordan Hugill, targeted by Town during his time with Preston, McKenna, again speaking before the postponed match, added: “He's scored a couple of great goals lately that will have grabbed the headlines.

“They've got other threats, obviously. [Sam] Nombe is their club record signing [£1 million from Exeter], who they signed in the summer and they've brought in two really good wingers [Andre Green from Aston Villa and Fred Onyedinma on loan from Luton, as well as Arvin Appiah on loan from Almeria] and they've changed their shape a little bit from when we played them in January.

“They've got pace, they've got wide threats, they've got, of course, Hugill, who has been scoring some really good goals and they're a big threat on set plays. 

“We know the opposition that we're facing and we're going to have to stand up to that really well.”

Might the game be similar to the recent 1-1 draw with Huddersfield at the John Smith's Stadium?

“Stylistically, there's probably some comparisons there,” McKenna considered. “You can never say for sure, but stylistically that was such a different game to Blackburn, the game before that in the league or the Hull game that came after it, which was so, so different. 

“I'd expect it to be more on that end of the scale and there are things that we didn't do very well against Huddersfield that we need to do better this game.

“And it's not always in your control. We can't dictate how the game's going to be for the whole 90 minutes, but we need to do some things better than we did against Huddersfield to dictate more of the game.

“And then, on the other hand, we need to do some of the things that we did well at Huddersfield to get what was a hard-fought point.

“I think it's a league of really varied challenges and I think Rotherham away or Huddersfield away are two types of game in which you have to stand up really, really well to have a chance of getting points.”

The teams last met in January in the FA Cup when the Blues ran out 4-1 winners at Portman Road.

Then Town were a division below the Millers but now they go into Tuesday’s match 21 places ahead of the South Yorkshiremen and the favourites, an indication of the Blues’ growth over the last 10 months.

“It’s not a game that we've looked back on too much, to be honest, because it was a different competition,” McKenna continued.

“To be fair, they had a really strong second half of the season after that. Whenever we played them, they'd had a few injuries and they'd lost a few in a row in January, but both clubs went on to a strong second half of the season for Rotherham.

“That meant staying up pretty comfortably, and for us, it obviously led to promotion, so both teams finished off last season well.

“Of course, we've had a better start to this season, but as I've said before, every game in this division can go either way. The last game they had before the break was [the draw] away to Southampton.

“I'm sure everybody would have had it down as a nailed-on Southampton home win and they went there and got a fantastic point.

“So we know that it's going to be a really difficult challenge. We can't take anything for granted and we're going to have to perform really, really well to have a chance.”

McKenna may look to make one or two changes with the game the third of four in 11 days with Swansea City visiting Portman Road on Saturday.

Vaclav Hladky will be in goal with Brandon Williams appearing an unlikely starter at right-back even if he makes the trip to South Yorkshire.

The on-loan Manchester United man was feeling better on Sunday, having missed the Birmingham match through illness, but hadn’t trained when McKenna spoke to TownTV on Monday morning and was due to be assessed on whether he would travel later in the day.

Even if Williams has made the trip, Harry Clarke seems set to continue at right-back with Leif Davis on the left and Luke Woolfenden and Cameron Burgess the centre-halves.

In central midfield, McKenna may rest Massimo Luongo, in which case skipper Sam Morsy will be joined by Jack Taylor.

The Blues boss may also look to made one or two changes of personnel in the three behind the striker with Kayden Jackson perhaps coming in on the right for Omari Hutchinson and weekend two-goal hero Marcus Harness on the left for Nathan Broadhead.

Conor Chaplin will probably continue in the centre, while Freddie Ladapo could be in line for a start against his old club with George Hirst joining Hutchinson, Harness and Luongo on the bench.

As would have been the case in the original fixture, Town will wear their new white and black third kit for the first time.

Rotherham manager Taylor has been hugely impressed by the Blues and their start to the campaign.

“We're playing against one of the best teams in the league, who are so strong and have been consistent throughout the course of the season so we have to respect that and be understanding of that but still back our way of playing at home,” he told his club’s official website.

”Our home performances continue to be our solid platform to survive on and we need to keep that going, certainly against a good team.

“I think if you wanted to see the strength of their squad you only have to look at the team they played against Fulham.

“It was a competitive game which we watched and they made [11] changes. That shows how strong that group is. There is competition for places and quality, with some know-how of the level.

“There's a lot to admire about what Ipswich have done so far this season, but we've got to back ourselves on our home patch and try and throw them off their attacking rhythm.”

Midfielder Jamie Lindsay is expected to return to the Millers squad having recovered from an achilles injury, but is most likely to be involved from the bench.

Defender Lee Peltier, who missed Saturday's draw due to a hamstring problem, has trained today but could still miss out against the Blues.

Centre-half Grant Hall, who has had a hip injury, is on his way back, but the Town game is expected to come too soon for him.

Winger Fred Onyedinma played through illness against QPR but the former Wycombe and Luton man is now feeling better.

Town have won 16 of the previous games between the sides (15 in the league) eight have ended in draws (eight), with the Millers having won 13 (13), including the last four in the league.

The Blues have won only one of the last nine between the teams in the league since winning 5-2 in South Yorkshire eight years ago to the day of Tuesday's match when Daryl Murphy netted a hat-trick.

The teams last met in the FA Cup third round in January, the first ever cup meeting between the sides, when Town comprehensively won 4-1 at Portman Road.

The Blues went in front just before half-time through Cameron Humphreys, but Conor Washington levelled for the Millers two minutes after the restart.

However, a Town penalty netted by Chaplin, a goal against his old club from Ladapo and a third spot-kick of the match from Wes Burns saw the Blues to a comfortable victory.

In the league, the teams last met at the New York Stadium in April 2022 with Rotherham on their way to promotion to the Championship as runners-up in League One.

Michael Smith’s 78th-minute goal saw the Millers to their most recent of their four consecutive 1-0 home victories over the Blues, mathematically ending any remaining hopes Town might have had of making the play-offs.

The Blues had the best chance of the first half, James Norwood scuffing wide at the far post, but the Millers, who had won only one of their previous seven in League One, were well on top after the break with Smith striking the game’s only goal.

In November 2021 at Portman Road, a goal in either half from Ben Wiles and Shane Ferguson saw Rotherham to a comfortable 2-0 victory over the Blues, extending the Millers’ unbeaten run to 15 games and taking them to the top of League One.

Wiles opened the scoring on 24 with a shot from the edge of the box with Ferguson adding the second a minute before the hour with Town never looking like getting back into the match.

Blues striker Ladapo left the Millers in the summer of 2022 prior to signing for Town having spent three years in South Yorkshire.

Ladapo joined Rotherham in June 2019 and scored 41 goals in 78 starts and 41 substitute appearances.

Fellow Blues frontman Hirst spent 2020/21 on loan with the Millers, making four Championship starts and 27 sub appearances (plus one more in the FA Cup) without scoring.

Dominic Ball was with the Millers between 2016 and 2019, making 14 starts and one sub appearance.

Tuesday’s referee is Graham Scott from Oxfordshire, who has shown 33 yellow cards and one red in six games this season.

Scott’s last Town match came way back in the final Championship game of the 2014/15 season at Blackburn when the Blues were beaten 3-2 but still made the play-offs.

Scott yellow-carded Cole Skuse and Jay Tabb that day and awarded the Blues a penalty, which was dispatched by Murphy, after Teddy Bishop had been felled by Tommy Spurr. At the other end, Rovers had a decent call dismissed after Tyrone Mings tripped Adam Henley.

Prior to that, Scott was in charge of the 1-0 FA Cup replay defeat to Southampton at Portman Road in January 2015 in which he kept his cards in his pocket throughout.

He also refereed the 2-1 home victory over Doncaster in April 2014, cautioning Christophe Berra and three of the visitors.

Earlier that season, Scott was the man in the middle for the 1-0 home loss to Burnley, again not using his cards throughout the 90 minutes.

The previous season, he took control of the 2-0 home loss to Wolves, booking two of the Midlanders and Michael Chopra.

In August 2011, in his first Town match, he sent off both Lee Martin and Tommy Smith - the first time Town had ever had two players red-carded in the same match - as the Blues were hammered 7-1 at Peterborough, also booking Damien Delaney, Grant Leadbitter and two Posh players.

Squad from: Hladky, Walton, Clarke, Williams, Donacien, Davis, Woolfenden, Burgess, Edmundson, Tuanzebe, Morsy, Luongo, Taylor, Ball, Humphreys, Jackson, Chaplin, Broadhead, Harness, Aluko, Hutchinson, Hirst, Ladapo, Jackson, Scarlett.

Photo: TWTD

ImAbeliever added 11:27 - Nov 7 Let’s Botherham right from the start.
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gosblue added 12:31 - Nov 7 I think many of the championship sides weren’t ready for the start of the season. Too many signings, unfamiliar systems and wrong management appointments were just some of the causes. None of the above could be applied to Town but many on here were blubbering about the lack of signings. As most of those teams are settling into the season, games are getting tougher. I think McKenna has a few surprises up his sleeve and we’ll win more than we lose. Hopefully we’ll be in a good position in January and two or three additions to help the squad will see us right for a promotion push. Trust the process guys. COYB

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Barty added 12:43 - Nov 7 Excellent post gosblue
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Nomore4 added 13:36 - Nov 7 Started the season expecting top 2. Nothing seen so far to change that.
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IpswichT62OldBoy added 14:21 - Nov 7 Before the season kicked off 16/1 Ipswich to win the Championship, today 7/2.
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DannyITFC added 16:17 - Nov 7 This is a big chance to go 10 points clear of Leeds and within 1 point of Leicester breathing down their necks. Leeds did look good the other day but we all know they also have inconsistency in them, McKenna won't be worried about the chasing pack as he prepares his teams to always compete and will be looking up more than over his shoulder I feel. What a season it's been, just incredible and a real credit to McKenna and his team. Those two draws at Huddersfield and Birmingham could be crucial come the end of the season grabbing last min equilizers. People insist we will have a wobble, but why would we? we might do but it's not written in the stars for us to have any real bad patches of results just like we have no go given right to win every game. This team look the real thing, play exciting attacking football and now have made the entire league stand up and respect them. Personally I feel that this next phase up until the next transfer window will be crucial, if we can keep top two then it surely will result with some big signings in January to give us that final push for promotion. Let's all get behind the team and enjoy what has so far been the best brand of football since the burley team that got promoted. It won't be easy tonight, they will be physical I feel but we will have too much for them tactically. 0-2 to Ipswich tonight.

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Daniel72 added 18:53 - Nov 7 Agree with dirtymingusmagee.. 3 vital pints... settles the nerves...
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