Nottingham Forest boss Mark Warburton will be hoping former Ipswich striker Daryl Murphy can come out on top when he faces a Blues side including two familiar faces tomorrow afternoon.
Murphy returns to Portman Road for the second time since his departure last August - scoring for Newcastle in April - and arrives with seven Championship goals to his name after moving to the City Ground in the summer.
The Irishman will lead the line for a Forest side against a team which could contain two players Warburton is familiar with, given he signed both Martyn Waghorn and Joe Garner during his time in charge of Rangers.
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Waghorn leads the Blues’ scoring chart with nine goals and is a certain starter against Forest, but Garner will need to fully recover from a foot injury if he is to return after missing the game at Derby.
They have got some goals between them,” Warburton said, when asked about his two former players. “Waggy was one of our first signings, in our first few months at Rangers.
“We signed Joe later on and he is a player we got for a decent fee. He is a very aggressive, combative player but with no shortage of quality.
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“Waggy has a great left foot and desire to go with that. They are enjoying their football and I am sure they are being well managed by Mick.
“They are two players in form and we are aware of them – but they have other players in their squad who can cause problems.
“We will be prepared for a tough game. Ipswich are a team high on confidence, who got a great result in midweek at Derby.”
Murphy scored 67 goals for the Blues during three loan spells and one permanent stint, but Warburton believes his striker will leave sentiment at the door.
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“It is a big game for him (Murphy), but I am sure he has the experience to cope,” Warburton said. “He is an experienced pro and he is going back to a club he had a really good time at,
“I know he always scored against Brentford for them, I certainly remember that.
“He is a good player, a proven professional and will go there and do a job for us. I am sure he will have friends there still, but he is a Forest player now and he will know that as well as anyone else.”
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