Ipswich Town welcome Nottingham Forest to Portman Road on Friday, 23 October 2026, for a Premier League matchday 8 fixture kicking off at 20:00 BST, according to Sports Mole's preview of the match.
The match pits a mid-table Ipswich side against a Forest team occupying one of the bottom three places, with both clubs still adjusting to changes made over the summer.
Where each team stands
Ahead of kick-off, Ipswich were 10th in the table with nine points from seven matches, while Nottingham Forest were 19th with five points from the same number of games, according to a preview published by Sports Mole. The same preview noted Forest have scored five goals in the league this season, the fewest of any Premier League club, while Ipswich have scored 11.
Premier League standings before matchday 8| Club | Position | Played | Points |
|---|
| Ipswich Town | 10th | 7 | 9 |
|---|
| Nottingham Forest | 19th | 7 | 5 |
|---|
Team news
Ipswich manager Gary O'Neil was expected to have midfielder Sasa Lukic available again after a groin problem, with the side likely to be largely unchanged from the team that lost 3-2 to Manchester City the previous weekend, according to Goal and Sports Mole.
For Forest, Igor Jesus and Nicolò Savona were ruled out through injury, while midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White and defender Nikola Milenković were facing late fitness tests, according to Sports Mole and Goal. Forest arrived at Portman Road on a run of three straight Premier League defeats, against Arsenal, Crystal Palace and newly promoted Coventry City, per Goal's preview.
A return to Portman Road for Delap
Forest's matchday squad was set to include striker Liam Delap, who joined the club from Chelsea in a deal reported by Sky Sports at £45-50 million including add-ons, completed on 27 August 2026. Delap previously played for Ipswich, scoring 12 Premier League goals in 37 appearances for the club before moving to Chelsea, where he scored three times in 47 games, Sky Sports reported. The Delap deal also eclipsed the £37.5 million Forest paid to sign Omari Hutchison from Ipswich in August 2025, per the same report.
Forest have been through frequent managerial change: head coach Oliver Glasner was appointed on 6 July 2026, replacing Vítor Pereira, and is the club's fifth manager in twelve months after Nuno Espírito Santo, Ange Postecoglou, Sean Dyche and Pereira, according to ESPN. Glasner had led Crystal Palace to an FA Cup, a Community Shield and a UEFA Europa Conference League title before leaving at the end of the 2025-26 season, ESPN reported.
Head-to-head record
Sports Mole's preview noted that Ipswich have not beaten Nottingham Forest since December 2017, with Forest winning five of the last six meetings between the clubs. The teams' most recent encounter ended 4-2 to Forest at Portman Road in March 2025.
Questions
- When is Ipswich Town vs Nottingham Forest?
- The match is on Friday, 23 October 2026, with kick-off at 20:00 BST at Portman Road, Ipswich's home ground, according to Sports Mole.
- Where do Ipswich Town and Nottingham Forest stand in the table?
- Before the match, Ipswich were 10th with nine points from seven games, and Nottingham Forest were 19th with five points from seven games, per Sports Mole's preview.
- Who are the managers of Ipswich Town and Nottingham Forest?
- Nottingham Forest are managed by Oliver Glasner, appointed on 6 July 2026, as reported by ESPN. Ipswich Town are managed by Gary O'Neil, according to Goal's preview of the match.
- What is the head-to-head record between the two clubs?
- According to Sports Mole, Ipswich have not beaten Forest since December 2017, with Forest winning five of their last six meetings, including a 4-2 win at Portman Road in March 2025.
- Why is Liam Delap's involvement notable?
- Delap, who scored 12 Premier League goals in 37 games for Ipswich before a largely unproductive spell at Chelsea, joined Nottingham Forest in a club-record deal reported at £45-50 million by Sky Sports, making this fixture a reunion with his former club.
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