Ipswich Town v Charlton Athletic on October 21st is going to be extra spicy now - here’s why | OneFootball

Ipswich Town and Charlton Athletic will have an extra element of motivation when the two sides meet

Ipswich Town and Charlton Athletic have both experienced equally surprising starts to the Championship season - and their upcoming clash after the October international break has taken on a new exciting angle.

The Tractor Boys arrived back in the Championship with a point to prove, following their tame attempt at achieving survival in the Premier League last term.

Kieran McKenna possesses one of the division’s best squads and his side was tipped by many to go straight back up to the top-flight, but the 2025/26 campaign didn’t start in ideal circumstances for the Suffolk outfit.

Ipswich Town failed to win in their first four matches and were knocked out of the EFL Cup on penalty kicks by League Two side Bromley.

A 5-0 demolition of Sheffield United looked to be a turning point for the Tractor Boys, but they only avoided defeat against Blackburn Rovers in their next outing due to the match being abandoned.

Charlton Athletic were promoted to the Championship via the League One play-offs last term but haven’t looked out of place in the division for one moment this season.

The Addicks have enjoyed strong victories over Blackburn Rovers, Sheffield United and Watford, whilst holding the likes of Millwall and Bristol City to stalemates.

On the surface, a clash between these two sides may not be anything out of the ordinary. However, a recent addition for Nathan Jones’ side has added an extra element of intrigue to the contest.

Charlton Athletic recently announced the signing of Onel Hernandez on a short-term contract until January 2026.

The 32-year-old Cuban winger departed Norwich City in the summer after seven years at Carrow Road, where he played a role in two separate Championship title-winning campaigns.

After spending so much time with the Canaries, Hernandez obviously holds an element of loyalty towards his former employers, and this includes harbouring a large distaste for their arch-rivals, Ipswich Town.

The forward displayed this recently when former Norwich teammate Marcelino Nunez did the unthinkable and signed for the Tractor Boys, with Hernandez stating via his YouTube channel that it was a “disgrace” of a move.

Hernandez also revealed that he personally highlighted the magnitude of what Nunez was about to do before the Chilean made the move and threatened that he would "break” him the next time they played each other.

These factors now add an extra element of intensity when these two sides next play each other, with Hernandez likely wanting to prove his word on the pitch against Nunez.

Given how long he spent at Carrow Road, the forward will be determined to defeat Ipswich Town and put a further dent in their promotion charge, should he get the opportunity to get on the pitch against the Suffolk outfit.

Nathan Jones will have to contain Onel Hernandez against Ipswich Town

Jones is a passionate manager and will enjoy seeing that same energy towards the game from his players on the pitch.

That said, he won’t want any pre-conceived hatred from Hernandez towards Ipswich Town to negatively impact his side’s chances of winning the contest.

The Addicks’ boss will hope that his new recruit can contain his emotions somewhat and use his negative feelings towards Ipswich as a motivating factor to perform at a higher level.

What Jones won’t want to see is Hernandez going over the top and potentially risking his place on the football pitch. Therefore, he will have to make sure that all measures have been taken to contain the forward’s attitude towards Ipswich Town and instead harness it as a positive influence.