The 8 players set to miss Southampton v Ipswich Town ft Flynn Downes | OneFootball

FLW looks at the players who aren't set to be involved in this huge midweek clash

Results across the last weekend of Championship football have guaranteed that the promotion race will continue into the final week of the regular season, and all eyes will be on St Mary's for Tuesday's mammoth clash between Southampton and Ipswich Town.

In what is a rescheduled fixture from Good Friday, a victory for Saints would see them close the gap on the Tractor Boys in second to just one point ahead of the final day, whilst a win for Kieran McKenna's side would mathematically end the automatic promotion hopes of Tonda Eckert's men and Middlesbrough in the process, whilst also having a superior goal difference advantage on nearest challengers, Millwall.

Ipswich were held to a goalless draw at a resurgent West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns on Saturday lunchtime, whilst Southampton suffered their first defeat in all competitions since January 17th, although they certainly showcased their full potential in a narrow loss to Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final.

There are certainly a multitude of players for both Eckert and McKenna to select from who are capable of swinging this game in the direction of either side, but Football League World have looked at the eight absentees across both squads who are set to miss out on the mouth-watering Championship contest.

Southampton

Alex McCarthy

The first of four expected absentees for Saints is experienced goalkeeper, Alex McCarthy.

The 36-year-old, who was once of Ipswich, has played just 10 matches across all competitions this term, with the last of those coming against Preston North End in November.

After initially deputising for shrewd January addition, Daniel Peretz, the one-cap England international underwent surgery on a wrist issue in February, and has since been absent from all matchday squads since then.

Mads Roerslev

Mads Roerslev signed for Saints from Brentford in August, and after enduring a mixed first few months in Hampshire, is expected to play no further part in their campaign.

The full-back last featured against Sheffield Wednesday on November 8th, and had surgery on an achilles issue two months ago, meaning he is still on the road to recovery.

That being said, it has also been claimed that the Dane has remained an important part of the squad behind-the-scenes under Eckert amid the club's upsurge in form.

Jack Stephens

Club captain, Jack Stephens, has started in 30 of Southampton's 44 league matches so far this season, but didn't feature against either of Bristol City or Manchester City amid fitness concerns.

Beforehand, the centre-back played one minute of the victory against Swansea City on April 18th, and it was revealed by Eckert after his pre-match squad withdrawal against the Robins that Stephens had suffered a calf issue.

As such, it remains to be seen if he has recovered in time to face Ipswich amid a short turnaround.

Flynn Downes

The final absentee for Saints is another ex-Tractor Boy in Flynn Downes, who will miss the second match of a three-game ban after being charged with violent conduct for a challenge on Swansea's Liam Cullen in the 2-1 victory.

Downes has been an influential figure at the heartbeat of Eckert's midfield with three goals on top of his energy and technical ability, but will be forced to watch another crucial fixture from the sidelines.

He will also sit out the final day trip to Preston North End, which could also be a monumental fixture.

David Button

David Button signed a one-year deal with Ipswich as a free agent last summer, but is expected to miss out on yet another matchday squad as the season nears its end.

The 37-year-old hasn't yet made a competitive appearance for the Tractor Boys behind Alex Palmer and Christian Walton, and hasn't been in a matchday squad since February after sustaining a calf issue.

Ashley Young

Similarly, Ashley Young was also signed on a one-year deal at Portman Road, but it also remains to be seen if he will play for the Tractor Boys again.

The 40-year-old has made 13 Championship appearances for the Suffolk side, but has been out of action since January after suffering a hip flexor issue.

That said, it was confirmed earlier in the month by McKenna that the experienced figure had begun training once again in a bid to recover before the end of the season.

Leif Davis

Perhaps the biggest blow for either side is that McKenna revealed after the goalless draw on Saturday that left-back, Leif Davis, remains a doubt for the clash with Saints after failing a fitness test before his team took on West Brom.

After suffering a hamstring knock against Middlesbrough, the dynamic full-back also at out the 2-1 win at Charlton Athletic last Wednesday, with the Northern Irishman since able to provide an update on his condition.

"No, he wasn't on the bus, so if you're close you tend to be on the bus and he's back in Suffolk," said McKenna.

"He's a doubt (for Southampton), but it's not impossible. We'll assess it over the weekend.

Conor Townsend

The final Ipswich man expected to sit out this contest is fellow left-back, Conor Townsend, who has missed the entire season with a serious knee injury.

The defender suffered a cruel blow in a pre-season friendly versus AJ Auxerre, but has since started to train again in recent days.

"Conor Townsend is sort of involved with training a little bit now and everyone else is available for the game. So we're in a good spot," McKenna said ahead of the Southampton fixture.