Ipswich v Watford: MICHAEL Chopra and Lee Martin have both been handed starts for Ipswich Town in tonight’s match against high-flying Watford at Portman Road.

Chopra has been handed only his second league start under manager Mick McCarthy after coming off the bench to score a fantastic winner in Saturday’s 1-0 home win over Blackpool.

Martin returns to the starting line-up after missing the last three games with a hamstring strain.

Anthony Wordsworth – who could miss the rest of the season after cracking three vertebrae in his back at the weekend – and Daryl Murphy are the players to come out of the side. The latter is on the bench.

Watford boss Gianfranco Zola has made three changes to the side which won 4-0 at Birmingham on Saturday.

Defender Daniel Pudil, midfielder Christian Battocchio and striker Matej Vydra – the team’s 19-goal top-scorer this season – all drop out the side, with the fit again Joel Ekstrand, Jonathan Hogg and Fernando Forestieri replacing them.

The Hornets are third in the table, have won 15 of their last 25 games and have the best away record in the division.

Ipswich have lost just one of their nine home games under McCarthy’s management, conceding less than a goal a game on average over those matches.

– Follow @Stuart_Watson and @ChrisBramms on Twitter for live match updates.

IPSWICH TOWN (4-4-2): Henderson; Stearman, Chambers, Smith, Cresswell; Edwards (cpt), N’Daw, Hyam, Martin; Chopra, McGoldrick.

Subs: Loach, Kisnorbo, Hewitt, Drury, Murphy, Nouble, Mclean.

WATFORD (3-5-2): Almunia (cpt): Doyley, Ekstrand, Nosworthy; Cassetti, Hogg, Chalobah, Abdi, Anya; Forestieri, Deeney.

Subs: Bond, Yeates, Forsyth, Murray, Vydra, Geijo, Battocchio.

Referee: Roger East