Ipswich Town fans, get ready to roar. Jack Taylor is set to be available for Saturday's season finale against Queens Park Rangers at Portman Road, and that is a massive boost for manager Kieran McKenna's push for automatic promotion back to the Premier League.
It's winner-takes-all at Portman Road. A victory against QPR secures promotion outright, no questions asked. But slip up, and the door creaks open for Millwall or Middlesbrough to snatch that coveted spot, sending Ipswich into the high-pressure lottery of the play-offs. It's the kind of final day drama that makes the Championship the most unpredictable league in football.
McKenna, however, is confident his squad is ready for the challenge. "We're in a really good spot," he said. "I think everyone in the squad trained, apart from Conor Townsend, who has been injured all year."
The manager highlighted the remarkable fitness of his squad. "It's always a difficult team to pick. I don't know how many teams in European football at the moment have, in essence, no injuries going into the last day. That's a credit to the lads and a credit to the staff here for how they've managed the group through the season."
That depth, however, comes with its own headache. "It makes it a really difficult team and squad to pick because there are players over the last couple of weeks who nowhere near deserve not to be in a matchday squad. But that's just the situation at the moment."
With tired legs not a concern, McKenna is focused on the mental battle. "For me, tired legs don't come into it tomorrow. Minds is where the bigger challenge is. But coming back to our home stadium for the last league game, I've got no concerns around energy levels or the physical output that we'll be able to put into the game."
For fans, this is the ultimate test of nerve. For the players, it's the chance to wear the shirt with pride on the biggest stage. Whether you're in the stands or watching from home, this is the kind of day that defines a season—and a club.
