Ipswich Town's brief return to the big time could officially come to an end on Saturday afternoon, when they face the daunting prospect of a trip to St James' Park to square off with Newcastle United.
The Tractor Boys must succeed and hope that results elsewhere go their way to keep their wafer-thin survival hopes alive, whereas the hosts - who will now welcome Eddie Howe back to the dugout
- are in the thick of an unpredictable fight for Champions League football.
Match preview
© Imago
The temporary Jason Tindall revolution briefly carried Newcastle into the Premier League podium places, as Howe's trusty assistant filled in for his superior while he recovered from a bout of pneumonia, but the Magpies had their wings clipped and then some against Aston Villa last week.
While Fabian Schar briefly restored parity after a 33-second Ollie Watkins opener, an 11-minute onslaught in the second 45 saw Ian Maatsen and Amadou Onana make the net bulge either side of Dan Burn's own goal - albeit a very tidy own goal - as Newcastle's six-game winning run came to a humbling end in a 4-1 beatdown.
After their astounding run to EFL Cup glory and four Premier League games in the first 16 days of April, the Easter trip to Villa was seemingly one match too many for a weary Magpies outfit, but a spot among the European elite remains in their own hands.
Indeed, Howe and Tindall's men lie in the fifth and final Champions League place in the Premier League table with five rounds to go - two points clear of both Chelsea and Aston Villa - and they could re-overtake Nottingham Forest and Manchester City with a return to triumphant ways here.
Newcastle's four-game Premier League winning run at St James' Park stands the hosts in very good stead, a streak that includes the 4-1 thumping of Manchester United and 5-0 slaying of Crystal Palace; they could now score at least four goals in three successive home matches in the competition for the first time since the 1994-95 season.
© Imago
Sharing Newcastle's four-goal fate over the Easter weekend, Ipswich inched ever closer to an inevitable demotion from the top flight as Arsenal ran riot at Portman Road last weekend, bearing no hangover from their successful European exertions in Madrid.
Leandro Trossard's double, Gabriel Martinelli's finish and an Ethan Nwaneri effort propelled the Gunners to a 4-0 win made even more comfortable by Leif Davis's sending-off for a shocking challenge on Bukayo Saka, who was subsequently the target of inexplicable jeers from some of the home crowd.
However, there will be little for that portion of fans to cheer on Saturday if their side fail to earn a surprise win; a draw or defeat will confirm their relegation to the Championship, and even victory will not save them if West Ham United take a point or more away from Brighton & Hove Albion.
With a 15-point gap to make up to the Irons, the only way Kieran McKenna's men will pull off the greatest of great escapes is if they win their final five games, West Ham lose their final five games and the Tractor Boys also make up a significantly inferior goal difference - highly fanciful.
Then again, three of Ipswich's four Premier League wins this season have come on the road, offering the travelling army the slightest sliver of hope, but memories of Newcastle's 4-0 win at Portman Road in December may quickly extinguish such hope.
Team News
© Imago
Schar's equaliser at Villa Park last weekend preceded the Swiss defender coming off with a hamstring complaint in the dying embers of that defeat, although Tindall suggested that his withdrawal was more precautionary than being a sign of anything sinister.
Howe has now affirmed that he 'hopes' the Swiss centre-back will be passed fit for the contest, although it is still an untimely concern given Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles are nursing knee issues.
As a result, Emil Krafth may have to fill in as an emergency centre-half this weekend, where Swedish sensation Alexander Isak seeks to build on a phenomenal record of 15 goals from 14 previous appearances against promoted clubs.
While Newcastle wait to learn whether they will be down a defender, Ipswich are definitely down a defender as Davis begins a three-match ban for his red card last weekend, potentially taking McKenna's list of absentees into the double figures.
Davis's ban is made more problematic by Conor Townsend's recent thigh problem, so Cameron Burgess may have to deputise at left-back at St James' Park, although Ben Godfrey is another makeshift alternative.
Jaden Philogene (knee), Arijanet Muric (shoulder), Wes Burns (knee), Chiedozie Ogbene (Achilles), Sammie Szmodics (ankle), Omari Hutchinson (thigh), Kalvin Phillips (calf) and Nathan Broadhead (thigh) are all watching on from a crowded infirmary.
Newcastle United possible starting lineup:
Pope; Trippier, Schar, Burn, Livramento; Guimaraes, Tonali, Joelinton; Murphy, Isak, Barnes
Ipswich Town possible starting lineup:
Palmer; Tuanzebe, O'Shea, Greaves, Burgess; Morsy, Cajuste; Johnson, Enciso, Clarke; Delap
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We say: Newcastle United 4-0 Ipswich Town
Having had a full week off from competitive action, expect Newcastle to return to their merciless best on Saturday as they put an end to this year's Premier League relegation dogfight, which in truth has not been much of a dogfight at all.
Battling a host of missing players and without a Premier League clean sheet in 2025, the visitors will go down with a whimper as Newcastle enhance their Champions League credentials.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ben Knapton
