Boss Paul Jewell seems likely to stick with the team which was unlucky to lose 2-1 to Wolves last week when Town take on Bristol City in their opening game of the season at Ashton Gate on Saturday. The Blues manager has a full squad to choose from with no one missing due to pre-season knocks.

Although Jewell ultimately wants to play a 4-4-2 formation he currently feels that 4-5-1 works better with the players current at his disposal, saying earlier this week: “I would like to play 4-4-2 but I want us to be adaptable.

“I think that at the moment with the personnel we’ve got, the system we played against Wolves probably suits us that bit better.

“We have to pass the ball in that system and when we don’t pass the ball, when we get a little bit tired like we did in the second half [against Wolves], we get a little bit stretched and the system falls down a little bit.”

That’s likely to see Mark Kennedy stay in the holding midfield role he occupied in last week's friendly but which has been pencilled in for Keith Andrews if and when he completes his season-long loan switch from Blackburn.

Jay Emmanuel-Thomas could be one of six debutants if he gets the nod ahead of Josh Carson in the wide left role. This would appear to have been Jewell’s main dilemma when he was picking his side on Thursday prior to making the trip to Bristol today.

Elsewhere, new loanee from Fulham David Stockdale will start in goal, summer signing from Cardiff Michael Chopra will be up front, ex-Tranmere man Aaron Cresswell will be at left-back, released Reading veteran Ívar Ingimarsson at the centre of the defence and former Birmingham schemer Lee Bowyer in central midfield.

Five players remain from the starting line-up which lost 4-2 at Leicester on the final day of last season: Kennedy, Carlos Edwards at right-back, Damien Delaney in the centre of the defence, Grant Leadbitter in central midfield - and the likely new skipper - and Lee Martin wide on the right.

Jewell had decisions to make regarding his subs with the number cut from seven to five this season. This means he’ll probably have had to choose whether he includes Jason Scotland or Nathan Ellington as his striking option from the bench and probably won’t name both Andy Drury and Colin Healy in the 16-man squad.

The Town manager says he’ll have an idea how the club’s pre-season preparations have gone after the match: “I’ll tell you on Saturday at about 5 o’clock. Pre-season’s one of those times when you don’t want to get too excited about it or too down about it.

“The games are pretty poor because there’s no edge to them. It’s a lot of training and a lot of hard work and we don’t apologise for that because that’s what has to be done.”

He feels the Robins, who finished 2010/11 15th in the Championship, two points and two places behind the Blues, will be stiff opposition with their manager having learnt lessons from his first season in charge: “I think Keith Millen did really well there last year.

“I think they had a really bad start and Keith turned them around and did exceptionally well with them. He’ll be better for the experience he had as manager this year.”

Millen, who took over from Steve Coppell last August, told the Robins club site that he doesn’t want a repeat of last season’s early struggles: "The start to a campaign is so important because we don't want to be playing catch up again like last year.

"Opening day can often throw up some weird results but it would be nice to get the win. If we can get a performance to go along with that then it would be a great start.

"Ipswich are going to be up there and I'm sure there are big expectations there like there are here at Bristol City.

"They've brought some good players in like Chopra and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas up front and Bowyer in midfield.

"We won't underestimate them and it'll be a tough start for us, but we're excited and can't wait to get going now."

Defender Jamie McAllister is over a calf problem, second choice keeper Dean Gerken a groin injury and defender Damion Stewart is fine after an ankle niggle, but strikers David Clarkson (ankle) and Marlon Jackson (Achilles) and defender Christian Ribeiro (groin) are all out.

City have added West Ham’s Jordan Spence on loan, the right-back having been at Ashton Gate last season when he impressed against the Blues.

Nicky Maynard remains a Bristol City player despite interest from Leicester, West Ham and others, while winger Yannick Bolasie has come in from Plymouth, striker Ryan Taylor from Rotherham and midfielder and apparent Town target Neil Kilkenny from Leeds.

Moving on were Ivan Sproule, who joined Hibernian, John Akinde, who is now with Crawley, and Stephen Henderson, who went to Portsmouth.

Former Blue Jon Stead, a likely starter, joined the Robins in August 2010 for £225,000, but no current Town player has played for City, although coach Sean McCarthy spent two months on loan at Ashton Gate in 1998, scoring one goal in seven games.

Historically, Town have the edge, winning 26 (24 in the league), losing 17 (17) and drawing 11 (11). Last August, second half goals from Tamás Priskin and league debutant Jason Scotland saw the Blues to a comfortable victory over a poor Robins side at Portman Road.

Town had hit the bar three times before the Hungarian struck the opener and the winning margin could have been much more comfortable.

In April at Ashton Gate, Josh Carson’s third goal of the week saw 10-man Town to a 1-0 victory over the Robins.

Midfielder Lee Martin had seem red in the first half for a dangerous challenge on Kalifa Cisse but the Northern Irishman lashed home from 30 yards after the break and Town held on for what was their fourth win in five matches.

Prior to Saturday's match there will be a minute’s applause for ex-Bristol City skipper Jack White, who died last month.

TWTD will once again be running the Prediction League. If you've not already added your forecast of Saturday's events, click here.

Saturday’s referee is Mark Haywood from West Yorkshire, who showed 63 yellow and just two red cards in 36 games last season. Haywood has taken charge of only two previous Town matches, last season’s 1-1 draw with Scunthorpe, in which he booked just one Iron, and another 1-1 draw, this time at Leicester in January 2010 in which he yellow-carded only Alex Bruce.

Likely Town line-up: Stockdale, Edwards, Cresswell, Ingimarsson, Delaney, Kennedy, Leadbitter, Bowyer, Martin, Emmanuel-Thomas, Chopra. Subs: Fülöp, Smith, Scotland, Carson, Drury.

Story syndicated from TWTD.co.uk

Photo: Action Images

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