Ipswich Town boss will be very much hoping for a performance similar to that which earned his side a valuable point against Aston Villa as they visit Derby County tomorrow (Tuesday 21st).
The Blues came from behind and held on in a 1-1 draw with Aston Villa.
Jonathan Kodjia gave Steve Bruce’s side the lead but fifteen minutes later Trevoh Chalobah levelled the scores.
Tayo Edun was dismissed three minutes after Town’s equaliser following two yellow cards in quick succession.
But, speaking afterwards, Hurst hinted that he may need to rotate the squad after reviewing knocks taken against the Midlands side.
“I was concerned about Jon during the first half but we got him going again at half-time, but it reached the point where he couldn’t have done much more.” he said.
“Skusey’s feeling his quad but had to stay out there. There’s a lot of walking wounded in there and plenty of tired legs but, thankfully, their efforts got something out of the game.
So, with Hurst suggesting changes may be necessary, who will the Blues boss select to start against Derby County?
Formation
Hurst began his tenure at Portman Road with a 4-3-3 line-up for the 2-2 draw with Blackburn Rovers. While the Blues looked dangerous in attack, defensive liabilities remained and Hurst soon looked to change the set-up.
Aside from the Carabao Cup exit at Exeter City – where Hurst made three changes to the side that lost 1-0 at Rotherham – Hurst has seen to prefer a 4-2-3-1 set-up. Having worked well in defence and attack against Aston Villa, it is likely that Hurst will not change his side’s shape.
Goalkeeper
Why fix something that is not broken? Having been a key fixture of the Blues squad last season, Bartosz Bialkowski has continued to claim his number one spot for the Tractor Boys. The ‘Pole in Goal’ has rarely faced criticism and has not yet produced any clear errors which should make him worthy of being dropped.
Defence
With a four-man defensive line, there should be no reason as to make any further changes to the side that drew with Villa at the weekend.
While his long throws may not have previously been much use to Town, the Blues finally heaped the rewards of a trademark Jonas Knudsen throw as Orjan Nyland dropped the ball in-front of Chalobah, allowing the defensive midfielder to fire home against Villa. As Hurst is keen to utilise innovative set-pieces, it is likely that these will be an option continued to be taken an advantage of.
Knudsen’s regular team-mates in the Blues’ defensive line, Janoi Donacien and Luke Chambers, should also be confident of starting for their fifth consecutive fixture.
Having started in the draw with Blackburn Rovers, Jordan Spence has found himself out of the starting XI. A first half tackle in the opening day fixture saw the full-back substituted with a daze, and unfortunately he has not been able to retake his starting position. Whether the defender is ready to return to the squad we are yet to find out, although Aristote Nsiala has certainly impressed since taking his place and it would be harsh to make a change.
Midfield
Having sustained two yellow cards in the draw against Villa, Edun will be unavailable for selection by Hurst. Therefore, having previously been given chances in wide positions, Hurst may look to utilise Grant Ward or Freddie Sears. The duo were both used out-wide in the Caraboa Cup defeat at Exeter City, although Hurst has preferred Sears over Ward in the left wing in previous fixtures.
Jordan Roberts is another who could be used in the vacant wide position, although his poor performances during pre-season have left him out-of-touch and he was not included in the match-day squad versus Villa.
Having picked up knocks at the weekend, Hurst may also need to rotate Cole Skuse and Jon Nolan. Flynn Downes could be given a look at featuring against Frank Lampard’s side, while Andre Dozzell is another who Hurst could utilise should he be forced to make changes.
Striker
With his superb strength and keen tendency to keep defenders busy, Ellis Harrison is likely to retain his starting position. While we have yet to seen the best of Harrison, Kayden Jackson’s pace and driven playing style makes him a preferred option should Hurst need to make attacking changes during the match.
While the Blues are yet to win in the League this season, it is a matter of time before that first victory arrives and Hurst will be determined to achieve that at Derby during the week.
