Coventry City promotion rivals Ipswich facing fixture congested test for run-in

CommentsSportAndy Turner Coventry City reporter12:59, 10 Mar 2026Coventry City promotion rivals Ipswich Town face a challenging end of season schedule as they attempt to push for a top two finish and direct return to the Premier League.

The combination of Southampton reaching the FA Cup quarter-finals and Norwich City exiting the competition over the weekend means the Blues now won’t have a game on Good Friday.

There are two trips to the south coast to re-arrange to face Portsmouth and Southampton, and just two possible midweek slots where they can go in April, resulting in the Tractor Boys playing eight games in 27 days at the end of the campaign, with five of them away.

So far this season Town have had five matches abandoned or postponed – Blackburn for a waterlogged pitch, Portsmouth twice (frozen pitch then waterlogged pitch), plus Hull and Southampton due to FA Cup progress.

Speaking to the East Anglian Daily Times, manager Kieran McKenna said: “The FA Cup one is what it is. However, there’s something that could be done differently for the Championship clubs who progress in that cup because it is a big challenge now for Southampton, but also for the teams who are playing against them, including us who already have a game to rearrange.

“The only rearrangement that still annoys me is the (first) Portsmouth one and I think you know why (Portsmouth were injury-ravaged at the time).

“We’re going to have a lot of games, we’re going to have tough games, but there are some brilliant games in there to look forward to. It should be a really exciting end to the season.

“But that’s all to come. All we can control at the moment is the next game. We have to keep performing well and picking up results to make sure that it is an end to the season with a lot on it.

“If we can get to that point, and we’re still fighting for our goals, and if we have to go and win back-to-back and back-to-back games in quick succession away from home, then that’ll be a great challenge for us.”

Ipswich's final run-in:

Tues, Mar 10: Stoke (A)

Sat, Mar 14: Sheff Weds (A)

Tues, Mar 17: No possible game (Portsmouth host Derby on Mon 16, Southampton host Norwich on Weds 18)

Sat, Mar 21: Millwall (H)

Tues, Mar 24: International break

Sat, Mar 28: International break

Tues, Mar 31: International break

Fri, Apr 3 (Good Fri): No possible game (Portsmouth are at Norwich, Southampton are in FA Cup QF action at some point that weekend)

Mon, Apr 6 (Easter Mon): Birmingham City (H)

Sat, Apr 11: Norwich City (A)

Tues, Apr 14: Blank slot - could play Portsmouth/Southampton

Sat, Apr 18: Middlesbrough (H)

Weds, Apr 22: Charlton (A)

Sat, Apr 25: West Brom (A)

Tues, Apr 28: Blank slot - could play Portsmouth/Southampton

Sat, May 2: QPR (H)

Get the latest Coventry City news sent straight to your phone by joining our Sky Blues WhatsApp group. It's a free service. You just need WhatsApp on your phones to participate. To join, just click here, select 'Join Community' and you're in. If you later decide to leave our community, you can do so by clicking on the name at the top of your screen and clicking 'Exit Group'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. If you are curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

Every day, the CoventryLive football desk strive to deliver all manner of news, features and transfer-related stories as a part of our overall package of Coventry City content.

Our dedicated reporter Andy Turner - who you can follow on X - follows the Sky Blues home and away and offers you comprehensive coverage from matchdays, press conferences and everything that happens in between.