The best combined Norwich City and Ipswich Town XI ft Marcelino Nunez | OneFootball

FLW puts together the best combined Norwich City and Ipswich Town XI ahead of Saturday's clash at Carrow Road

The East Anglian derby is nearly here, and with so much still at stake for either side, Saturday's clash at Carrow Road is set to be a monumental tie.

The second and last East Anglian derby of the season is on the horizon, with Norwich City set to host bitter rivals Ipswich Town this weekend, with both teams still having something to play for.

The reverse fixture at Portman Road in October finished 3-1 to the Tractor Boys, with Ipswich ending their 14-game winless run against their opponents, and have the opportunity to complete a first league double over Norwich since the 1992/93 season.

Norwich head into this fixture still within a shot of breaking into the top six, and realistically must come away with nothing but three points in this one to keep that dream alive.

Philippe Clement has done a miraculous job since arriving in Norfolk, and the Belgian is set for his first taste of the derby on Saturday, as he not only looks to help his side's promotion hopes, but also dent his rivals.

Ipswich have their fate in their hands, sitting level on 72 points alongside Middlesbrough and Millwall but with two games in hand, which Kieran McKenna will be looking to take advantage of in this one.

With so much to play for and bragging rights up for grabs, FLW has taken a look at the best combined XI between the two sides ahead of this fiery encounter. For the purpose of this list, a 4-2-3-1 is the chosen formation, given that this is both teams' preferred shape at the moment.

Vladen Kovacevic

Starting us off is Norwich's Bosnian goalkeeper Vladan Kovacevic, who joined the club in the summer in a £2 million deal from Portuguese side Sporting CP.

Kovacevic has had a tricky start to life in England since his arrival, but has been one of the Canaries' most consistent performers across an inconsistent campaign, having missed just one league game all season.

According to FotMob, the 27-year-old has prevented 2.97 goals this campaign, and whilst that doesn't rank him among the very best in the league, it's certainly a solid number, and given the difficulties Norwich have faced this season, Kovacevic has performed admirably.

He gets his nose in front of both Ipswich's Alex Palmer and Christian Walton to begin this XI, with neither of McKenna's options in goal having particularly shone as he would have hoped, and certainly not brighter than Kovacevic.

Darnell Furlong

Right-back was a relatively tough decision to come to, with both Jack Stacey and Kellen Fisher offering strong competition for this position, but Ipswich's Darnell Furlong just edges ahead of them at this stage.

At 30, Furlong is in and around the prime of his career, and since joining Ipswich from West Bromwich Albion in the summer, he has barely missed a minute, and limited Ben Johnson's playing time as a result.

Approaching 300 Championship appearances across his career, Furlong's longevity and consistency have been imperative for McKenna since his arrival, offering a calm and reliable presence on the right side of defence.

Stacey, who is the same age as Furlong, could have a strong argument for a place in this side, as would young prospect Fisher, but it's Ipswich's number 19 getting us underway in the back four.

Cedric Kipre

The first central defender on this list is French-born Ivorian international Cedric Kipre, who has slotted into McKenna's side with ease since arriving on loan from Reims.

Having spent time with the likes of Wigan Athletic, West Brom, and Cardiff City in the EFL before his move to Portman Road this summer, the 29-year-old is targeting promotion to the Premier League this season.

Kipre has come in and displaced Jacob Greaves in the heart of defence at Ipswich like it's nothing, and is a worthy inclusion in this list.

Dara O'Shea

Partnering Kipre in both real life and this list is Irish defender Dara O'Shea, who has arguably been just as good, if not better, than Kipre this season.

Two years younger than the Ivorian, O'Shea has racked up over a century of appearances in the English second tier, and is just shy of a century in the top flight as well, having spent time with West Brom and Burnley before his move to Suffolk.

Capped 43 times by the Republic of Ireland, the 27-year-old, along with Kipre, edges out Norwich's Jose Cordoba, Harry Darling, and Ruairi McConville at the heart of defence.

Leif Davis

Completing a full Ipswich back line, likely to many Norwich fans' disagreement, if English left-back Leif Davis.

Davis, whilst he hasn't been at his very best this season, is still arguably the Championship's most outstanding left-back in terms of pure ability.

On the verge of completing his fourth full season at Portman Road, with over 150 appearances for Ipswich at 26, few would dare to deny Davis' ability despite a relatively quiet campaign by his standards.

With 35 assists in his first two seasons with the club, it was always going to be difficult for Davis to sustain that level of consistency, but he rightfully completes the back four in this combined XI.

Kenny McLean

Adding some more Norwich representation to the side is Scottish international Kenny McLean.

McLean, 34, is very much in the latter stages of his career. However, the midfielder has remained one of Norwich's key performers this season despite his age, able to cover across several positions if required.

With over 300 appearances for the Canaries across all competitions, as well as 600 professional appearances across his entire career, McLean's experience is second to none on this side.

Whilst the likes of Dan Neil, Jens Cajuste, and Jack Taylor of Ipswich, as well as teammate Pelle Mattson, could all make strong claims for a place in midfield, it's the veteran Scot who takes his place as part of a midfield two.

Azor Matusiwa

Partnering McLean, only on this list, of course, is Dutch midfielder Azor Matusiwa, whose quality and career path speak for themselves.

An Ajax youth academy product, the 27-year-old spent time with the likes of FC Groningen, Reims, and Rennes before his £7.8 million move to Portman Road this summer, and has been worth every penny.

Whilst each of Neil, Cajuste, and Taylor has battled it out for a place in McKenna's two-man midfield, Matusiwa has virtually been an ever-present for Ipswich, missing only one game due to suspension.

It would be remiss not to include him in this combined XI, and although he is unlikely to feature in the East Anglian derby due to injury, he certainly features in this lineup.

Jaden Philogene

Playing off the right in this system is Ipswich's Jaden Philogene, and few arguments can be made that any viable alternative gets ahead of him in this one.

Whilst he hasn't quite hit the heights many had expected him to this season, there is no doubting that, on his day, he is probably the most technically gifted player in the entire division.

Nine goals and two assists in 28 league games this campaign, whilst not abysmal, is certainly beneath what many had come to expect from the former Aston Villa winger, especially after his performances on loan with Hull City just a couple of seasons ago.

Kasey McAteer and Sindre Walle Egeli don't come close to Philogene on his day, whilst none of Norwich's Matej Jurasek, Forson Amankwah, nor Ante Crnac has strong arguments to be ahead of the former England youth international in this team.

Marcelino Nunez

A name Norwich fans will be more than familiar with and will not be pleased to see cropping up on this list is Chilean attacking-midfielder, Marcelino Nunez.

Nunez made the rare direct switch between the two clubs over the summer, becoming the first player since Andy Marshall in 2001 to directly transfer between the clubs, with Ipswich paying £10 million for his services.

The 26-year-old made 119 appearances for Norwich across all competitions during his three-year stay at Carrow Road, and his move to Portman Road, unsurprisingly, caused mass backlash from many Canaries supporters.

So far, Nunez has scored three and assisted nine in 29 league games for Ipswich, and is McKenna's preferred choice in the number ten position ahead of Chuba Akpom.

Anis Ben Slimane, Mathias Kvistgaarden, and Oscar Schwartau, whilst all extremely talented in their own right, don't come close to Nunez's level at this stage, as the Ipswich man will return to his old stomping ground on Saturday and will look to make an impact.

Jack Clarke

Ipswich's top scorer this season, Jack Clarke has outshone many of his attacking teammates in Suffolk this campaign.

The former Leeds United, Sunderland, and Tottenham Hotspur winger is enjoying another solid year in the second tier, and at 25, is already approaching 200 appearances in the Championship.

On his day, there are few more effective wide players in the division than Clarke, and though his minutes have been limited this campaign due to the strength the Tractor Boys possess in wide areas, he is among the very best in the division.