An early yellow card as Sean McLoughlin trips up Shea Charles.

Easy as they come that one.

Southampton fans are in full voice tonight with their team enjoying early possession.

Here's a little stat for you - they are yet to lose a midweek league game under Tonda Eckert, winning eight and drawing two.

Kasey McAteer steals the ball on the halfway line for Ipswich and drives into the Portsmouth half before having the ball taken away from him.

Ipswich are already pressing the home side.

Image source, BBC Sport

A hastily-rearranged fixture on a Tuesday night, 250 miles away.

Full credit to the Blackburn fans who have made the journey south.

Image source, Shutterstock

Right,

It's after eight and we are up and running.

Who will prove themselves to be 'mint' tonight?

Guy Whittingham
Former Portsmouth manager on BBC Radio Solent

It has got to be a huge performance if Portsmouth are going to get the win tonight.

BBC Local Radio

Because of EFL broadcasting regulations we are unable to bring you audio commentary of tonight's games online.

Your BBC Local Radio station will be providing commentary and we will bring you a flavour of their coverage as part of our live text service.

Jo Tessem
Ex-Southampton midfielder on BBC Radio Solent

Southampton have still got a lot to do to get into the play-offs but Eckert has gone a long way in repairing the relationship between the players and the fans.

Image source, Opta

Five changes for Southampton from the side the beat Derby on Saturday. Finn Azaz misses out with Flynn Downes, Caspar Jander, Leo Scienza and Ross Stewart all dropping to the bench.

In come Shea Charles, Cameron Bragg, Kuryu Matsuki, Cameron Archer and Cyle Larin.

Blackburn boss Michael O'Neill has also made five changes from the team that drew at Stoke.

Nathan Redmond makes his debut after signing on a short-term deal last month. Fun fact - this is the first time he has started a league match since May 2023, for Besiktas at Adana Demirspor.

Meanwhile, Harry Pickering, Taylor Gardner-Hickman, Kristi Montgomery and Mathias Jorgensen all return to the starting XI.

Todd Cantwell and Adam Forshaw both miss out and Eiran Cashin, Ryoya Morishita and Yuki Ohashi all drop to the bench.

Image source, Opta

Dan George
BBC Sport at Fratton Park

Image source, BBC Sport

After this game was postponed on two occasions earlier in the year it looks like we will finally get to see Portsmouth host Ipswich at the third time of asking.

I can confirm that having taken a good look, the pitch looks in tremendous condition and we should be safe to go ahead with tonight's game with no risk of a frozen surface or flooding.

This match could be seen as a bit of a free hit for Portsmouth, being their game in hand over their rivals at the bottom, this ground has seen a few upsets against big teams in the past couple of years.

But Ipswich have already proven to be one of the Championship's outstanding sides this season and have only lost seven times this campaign - the joint least amount.

One name on the bench for Portsmouth that makes a surprise return is Florian Bianchini who has not played for Pompey since November last year.

Image source, Opta

Portsmouth boss John Mousinho makes four changes from the side that won at Middlesbrough at the weekend.

Conor Chaplin is unable to play against his parent club while fellow forward Gustavo Caballero is out with Madiodio Dia and Keshi Anderson on the bench.

Into the starting XI come Conor Shaughnessy, John Swift, Adrian Segecic and Millenic Alli.

Ipswich are without Leif Davis tonight after the birth of the defender's first child while Cedric Kipre, Dan Neil, Kasey McAteer, Marcelino Nunez and Jack Clarke all start in place of the benched Jaden Philogene, Jack Taylor, Ben Johnson and Anis Mehmeti.

Image source, Opta

Image source, Shutterstock

So much could happen tonight.

• Ipswich have not been as strong on the road as they have at home this season so, with four of their remaining six games away do they have the trickier run-in of the promotion challengers?
• Pompey fans, do you see this as a "free hit" as advertised by John Mousinho?
• Saints supporters, what specifically has Tonda Eckert done to turn this around?
• And for those of a Blackburn persuasion, how many points do you think you need to be definitely safe?

Send us your views using the 'Get Involved' button on this page and we will publish a selection of the responses.

Blackburn Rovers will have to manage their squad carefully this week, says head coach Michael O'Neill.

After Saturday's 1-1 draw at Stoke, Rovers face Southampton this evening then leaders Coventry on Friday.

"We're running low on bodies and players are churning out 90 minutes after 90 minutes and our options are limited with what we can do from the bench," O'Neill told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"We've got to get through this week in particular with three games in six days, two away games and the team who are top of the league coming to visit us on Friday, it's as tough a week as you can get in the Championship.

"We've got to be mindful of Friday's game but also take care of the game in front of us and put a team on the pitch we believe can take something."

Image source, Shutterstock

A second classic case of two sides contesting different objectives at either end of the table clash at St Mary's this evening.

Southampton are flying at the moment, well inside the play-off places after picking up 11 wins and three draws in the league since their last defeat on 17 January.

Squeeze in the small fact they have also reached the FA Cup semi-finals after knocking out Arsenal.

Tonight, Tonda Eckert's side will looking to extend their 17-match unbeaten run, in all competitions, and a sixth-straight league win would take them above Middlesbrough into fourth on goal difference and potentially in sight of the automatic promotion spots, should Ipswich slip up a little further down the M27.

Blackburn sit in 19th and are four points from safety after their 1-1 draw at Stoke on Saturday.

Rovers will be well aware of how big a win could be tonight as it'll move them seven points clear of the relegation zone.

Michael O'Neill's side are undefeated in their past five league outings with two wins and three draws.

Image source, Getty Images

What would be one of the last things you need while your team is vying for promotion?

Having your manager linked with a job elsewhere is probably near the top of the list but following today's news Andoni Iraola will leave Bournemouth at the end of the season the rumours are already doing the rounds as to who might replace him.

Ipswich Town fans may wish to look away now because The Athletic are reporting, external head coach Kieran McKenna is "high among the options" to replace Iraola.

The 39-year-old was linked with taking over at Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion two years ago after leading Ipswich to successive promotions and a season in the Premier League.

McKenna is among the early frontrunners for the Cherries job, along with former RB Leipzig boss Marco Rose and ex-Cherries favourite Eddie Howe who is currently in charge of Newcastle.

Image source, Shutterstock

Timing, so someone once said, is everything and Ipswich Town appear to be pacing their run to the Championship finish line perfectly.

As we round the bend and enter the final straight, Ipswich know a maximum of 11 points from their six remaining games will gain an immediate return to the Premier League.

Victory this evening would guarantee at least a play-off place but Town have loftier ambitions.

Having been outside the top six up to the start of December, it took a bit of settling back into the Championship for Kieran McKenna's side but 34 points from 16 games since the turn of the year have moved them into pole position to join Coventry in winning automatic promotion.

Saturday's 2-0 win at Norwich, their first league victory at their East Anglian rivals for 20 years, showed a team who know how to win in different ways.

While the Canaries dominated possession and even earned 13 corners compared to Ipswich's one, Town took their chances and might have won by a wider margin - knowhow is a valuable commodity at this stage of a season, more so when four of their six games from now are away from home.

"We know with the schedule and fixtures we have it's going to be really, really tough and it's going to take a massive effort," said McKenna.

"We have to go to teams who're fighting for something and their crowd will be right behind them so there's no time to rest."

No time to rest maybe but more than enough time to get the job done.

Five games to go, fighting for Championship survival - Portsmouth have been here before, 12 months ago in fact.

This time last season Pompey were three points clear of the relegation zone. They are two points worse off this time around but a three-game unbeaten run and victory at Middlesbrough on Saturday has them pointing in the right direction at a timely moment.

"Our performance levels against sides up and down the league hasn't had much bearing on the results," said boss John Mousinho.

"We've beaten Middlesbrough twice, beaten Millwall twice and put in some poor performances against other sides."

This game with second-placed Ipswich has already been postponed twice this season but Portsmouth's destiny remains in their own hands and many may be looking towards Saturday's crucial meeting with fellow-strugglers Leicester.

"It's the game in hand, we've got nothing to lose so it's a bit of a free hit for us and we can go into it trying to disrupt and enjoy trying to do something off the back of the weekend," added Mousinho.

Free hit or not, it might be an idea to make the most of it rather than gambling on games to come.

Image source, BBC Sport/Shutterstock

With games at Portsmouth tonight and at home to Middlesbrough on Sunday, Ipswich have the chance to take a giant step towards an immediate return to the Premier League.

Pompey can buy themselves some breathing space at the bottom with a win at Fratton Park this evening.

In-form Southampton will go fourth with a win over Blackburn who themselves can all but secure their Championship status with a victory on the south coast.