Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna says only time will tell if a two-week break will help or hinder his team's Championship promotion push.

Having recently played five games in 16 days, the table-topping Blues are now in the middle of a 13-day period without a game.

Town had been due to go to Coventry this Saturday, but that fixture had to be re-arranged due to the fact the Sky Blues take on Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-finals this weekend.

By the time Ipswich face Hull in an 8pm kick-off on Saturday, April 27, top-two rivals Leicester, Leeds and Southampton will have played at least two more games each and McKenna's men could have dropped to fourth.

Town, whose fate is in their own hands regardless of what happens elsewhere, will be the only team out of the current top four to play three games - Hull (a), Coventry (a) and Huddersfield (h) - in the final week of the campaign. 

"We had players involved in some big games during the international break (most notably Kieffer Moore), then played Good Friday, Easter Monday, followed by Saturday-Wednesday-Saturday. That's been a big challenge," said the Blues boss, after receiving his Championship Manager of the Year trophy at the EFL Awards last weekend.

"Look, irrespective we would have had a free week now before we were due to play Coventry, so I think that would have freshened the group up. Of course we now have two weeks, which is a little bit unusual at this stage of the season, but it's about making the most of that.

"We've given the players a few days off after a really busy schedule. That's some extra recovery that we wouldn't normally have been able to have.

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"It's going to give us some valuable time on the training pitch and we'll try and get an 11-v-11 practice game at the weekend that will help keep the whole squad sharp.

"Then we've got a nice clear run to Hull to prepare as well as we can for what's going to be a really exciting game. Of course it gives the players coming back from injury (Wes Burns and George Hirst) a little bit more time as well.

"We also know that, on the flip side of that, after an 8pm kick-off at Hull we have to go to away again (to Coventry) less than three days later. So that's going to be really tough.

"You can look at it any which way. However the games work out, people will probably say it was to the benefit or the detriment, but in reality you deal with the hand that your dealt and you play it the best you can."

 

FIXTURES FOR TOWN, THEIR TOP-TWO RIVALS AND UPCOMING OPPONENTS

* 3pm unless stated

Sat, Apr 20: LEICESTER v West Brom (12.30pm), Cardiff v SOUTHAMPTON, Watford v Hull.

Sun, Apr 21: Coventry v Man Utd (FA Cup, 3.30pm)

Mon, Apr 22: Middlesbrough v LEEDS (8pm)

Tues, Apr 23: LEICESTER v SOUTHAMPTON (8pm)

Weds, Apr 24: Coventry v Hull (7.45pm)

Fri, Apr 26: QPR v LEEDS (8pm)

Sat, Apr 27: Blackburn v Coventry, Huddersfield v Birmingham, SOUTHAMPTON v Stoke, Hull v IPSWICH (8pm)

Mon, Apr 29: Preston v LEICESTER (8pm)

Tues, Apr 30: Coventry v IPSWICH (8pm)

Sat, May 4 (all 12.30pm): LEICESTER v Blackburn, LEEDS v SOUTHAMPTON, IPSWICH v Huddersfield