George Hirst starts for Ipswich Town against former club Sheffield Wednesday

As he was in the last game at Portman Road, George Hirst has been given the nod to start up front as Ipswich Town take on new Sky Bet League One leaders Sheffield Wednesday in a key clash at Portman Road (3pm).

It comes after the son of former Owls legend David Hirst scored the first goal of his loan spell with the Blues in Tuesday's Emirates FA Cup replay at Championship leaders Burnley, which ended in a 2-1 defeat.

It means Freddie Ladapo starts on the bench with Kieran McKenna making four changes from his last league line-up, the disappointing 1-1 draw at relegation-threatened Cambridge United last Saturday.

Both of the centre-backs are among them with Luke Woolfenden retaining his place from Tuesday's cup game while Cameron Burgess comes back in alongside him. There is no place among the substitutes for either of last weekend's starters, Richard Keogh and George Edmundson.

With Lee Evans ruled out with a knee injury, youngster Cameron Humphreys retains his place from the cup team alongside captain Sam Morsy in the heart of the midfield for the last of the four changes.

Neither Wes Burns nor former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Massimo Luongo, both of whom were set to have late fitness tests after missing the mid-week game, are among the subs. Kyle Edwards is another not included in the match-day squad.

Darren Moore's Owls show just one change to their line-up from last weekend's 1-0 home victory against title rivals Plymouth Argyle with goalscorer Callum Paterson replaced in the left centre-half slot by Akin Famewo.

Town go into the game in third place and six points adrift of the top two joint leaders with today's results able to see them end anywhere from third to fifth positions with 16 games to play.

Ipswich Town: Walton, Davis, Morsy (c), Woolfenden, Burns, Chaplin, Burgess, Hirst, Humphreys, Broadhead, Clarke.

Substitutes: Hladky, Ladapo, Harness, Jackson, Leigh, Aluko, Donacien.