Ipswich v West Ham: Town’s returning Olympian Tommy Smith and Lee Martin both make their first starts of pre-season for this afternoon’s showcase summer friendly against Premier League West Ham.
Smith has missed all of the friendlies thus far due to his involvement in London 2012 with New Zealand while Martin has been struggling with a thigh injury – playing just 30 minutes of the previous five first team matches.
Damien Delaney drops to the bench while Andy Drury (calf) is not in the 18-man matchday squad.
For the majority of the Portman Road crowd, it will be the first chance to see new signings Scott Loach, Luke Chambers and Massimo Luongo, the latter being the most impressive player in Town’s stuttering pre-season.
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce has named his strongest available line-up with injury and the Olympics depriving him of a number of first team players.
Sam Baldock, a striker who has interested both Ipswich and divisional rivals Bristol City, is not included in the Hammers’ squad but new boys Jussi Jaaskelainen, James Collins and Modibo Maiga all start.
STARTING LINE-UPS
Ipswich: Loach, Edwards, Cresswell, Chambers, Smith, Hyam, Carson, Luongo, Emmanuel-Thomas, Martin, Chopra. Subs – Lee-Barrett, Murray, Ainsley, Delaney, Kourouma, Lawrence, Whight.
West Ham: Jaaskelainen; Demel, Reid, Collins, Potts; O’Neil, Noble, Taylor; Maiga, Cole, Vaz Te. Subs – Maynard, Henderson, Moncur, O’Brien, Fanimo, Lletget.
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