Ipswich Town manager Mick McCarthy believes the Blues’ home form will be key, ahead of tonight’s crunch home Championship clash with struggling Charlton.

However, the Town boss, whose eighth-placed side are five points adrift of the play-offs with seven games left, does not think it will take the 78 points Ipswich required last season, to finish in that final play-off spot.

The Blues have amassed 59 points so far and, with 21 left to play for, have a mixed bag of fixtures to contend with.

After tonight’s game with second-from-bottom Charlton – the Addicks six points adrift of safety – the Blues face winnable home games against relegation-threatened Fulham and MK Dons, as well as struggling Brentford, on Saturday.

In contrast, their remaining away games see them face top-six sides Sheffield Wednesday, Middlesbrough and Derby.

Asked whether Town would require at least five wins and a draw to finish in the top six, McCarthy, who will have fit-again Teddy Bishop amongst his options on the substitutes bench tonight – the midfielder having missed the entire season through injury – said: “I am not sure.

“We have got Derby, Middlesbrough and Sheffield Wednesday at the top, but I looked at all the (their rivals’) fixtures and they’re all tough games.

“No one has an easy run-in. Charlton, Fulham, Brentford and MK Dons are down at the bottom end of the league, but since when have they been easy to play against?

“Quite a few of us have got to play each other, I don’t think it will take 78 points like last year.”

Town have lost five games at home this season and McCarthy added: “We could win all three away games, that’s not beyond the realms of possibility, but the likelihood is we need the points at home, of course.”

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