The 11 players set to miss Ipswich Town vs Middlesbrough ft Hayden Hackney | OneFootball

The latest injury news ahead of the promotion six-pointer at Portman Road this Sunday

The Championship promotion race took yet another turn on Tuesday night, when Ipswich Town were beaten in one of their games in hand away at relegation-threatened Portsmouth.

The Tractor Boys missed out on the chance to go five points clear of Millwall in third, and while they still have their automatic promotion place in their hands, their grip on it could slip even further this weekend.

Ipswich take on out-of-form Middlesbrough at Portman Road on Sunday, but you get the feeling that the defeat at Fratton Park would have given Kim Hellberg's side a bit of a mental boost, as they could reinsert themselves right back into the promotion hunt with a streak-ending win.

Despite having been in the top two for the longest time this season, Boro go into the weekend fifth off the back of a six-game winless run. A win here, though, would draw them level with Ipswich, albeit Kieran McKenna's side still holding a game in hand over them.

It's been a highly anticipated clash for a good few months now, but with it just around the corner, these 11 players are, unfortunately, set to play no part.

Ipswich's absentee list is shorter than Middlesbrough's and, arguably, less significant in terms of key first-teamers.

Wes Burns is the biggest miss for Kieran McKenna this weekend, with the 31-year-old set to miss a fifth consecutive outing with a calf injury that he sustained in the Sheffield Wednesday trip last month.

In his press conference ahead of the Boro battle, McKenna explained that he'd suffered a minor setback in his recovery.

10 ? ? David Button

Ipswich's third-choice shot-stopper, David Button, has been missing for over two months now with an ongoing calf problem.

The 37-year-old hasn't made a senior appearance for the Tractor Boys since his move from Reading in the summer, though, and wouldn't likely be involved against Middlesbrough even if available.

9 ? ? Conor Townsend

Also yet to feature this season is Conor Townsend, who suffered an ACL injury in pre-season against French side Auxerre.

The 33-year-old has managed just 10 appearances in an Ipswich shirt since he made the switch from West Brom in the summer of 2024.

8 ? ? Ashley Young

It was revealed ahead of the East Anglian Derby against Norwich City last week that Ashley Young was back in training, nearly three months on from suffering what was said to be a "significant" hip injury.

The 40-year-old hasn't yet been involved in matchday squads since, though, and, given the importance of Sunday's game, there may be some hesitation in throwing him back in the side this soon.

7 ? ? Hayden Hackney

Middlesbrough may still be without star midfielder Hayden Hackney, after he picked up a calf injury in the latter stages of their draw with Bristol City last month.

Kim Hellberg initially hoped that the 23-year-old would be able to return for the Millwall game on Good Friday, but that hasn't been the case. However, in his pre-match press conference ahead of the Ipswich game, the Swedish boss was coy when asked about his availability.

"We'll see, hopefully, Everyone is [getting] better," he said.

6 ? ? Morgan Whittaker

Similarly, Boro fans will be waiting with bated breath to see whether top scorer Morgan Whittaker will be able to make his return at Portman Road after picking up an ankle injury in the 1-0 defeat against Charlton Athletic in March.

Hellberg's answer to the Hackney availability question was a blanket one surrounding the availability of the current injured group, so "we'll see" whether he'll be available come Sunday lunchtime.

5 ? ? Alex Bangura

And Alex Bangura will also be a late assessment by Kim Hellberg and his staff ahead of the trip to Portman Road, after he missed the Portsmouth defeat with a muscle injury he sustained early on against Swansea City on Easter Monday.

That was the 26-year-old's first start since January 4th, when he was withdrawn early on in a 4-0 win over Southampton and forced to miss over two months of action.

Hopefully, the full-back, who has had his fair share of injury troubles at the Riverside, won't be out for too long with this recent setback.

4 ? ? Jeremy Sarmiento

Jeremy Sarmiento, who played a vital part in helping Ipswich to the Premier League a couple of years ago, will likely be unable to make his return to Portman Road this weekend, after being forced off at half-time against Portsmouth last weekend.

After the game, Hellberg said, "He had a hit on his knee, actually, so I think it was a combination that he couldn't get through."

The 23-year-old is a doubt for the weekend, but isn't expected to be out for a lengthy period.

3 ? ? Alfie Jones

Centre-back Alfie Jones has missed the entirety of 2026 with an ankle injury he picked up on Boxing Day against Blackburn Rovers.

There's optimism that the Canadian could return before the end of the campaign, but with him yet to feature in a matchday squad since the injury, it's likely he won't be making a comeback this weekend.

2 ? ? Leo Castledine

Leo Castledine hasn't been able to get out of the starting blocks at the Riverside after making a £1 million move from Chelsea in the January window, following on from a more than encouraging first half of the season at Huddersfield Town in League One.

After missing just over a month earlier in 2026, the 20-year-old has now been absent from the last three games with a muscle injury.