This season, Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth has emerged as one of the top performers in the top flight. However, they’re currently on a four - match winless streak in the league. As a result, they find themselves in mid - table going into their midweek clash.

After the international break, the Cherries made their return with a game on Sunday, only to be knocked out of the FA Cup by Manchester City. In their last six matches across all competitions, they’ve registered just one win. That came via a penalty shootout against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers on March 1. Clearly, Bournemouth has hit a rough patch.

Iraola’s team is currently 10th in the table. They’ve amassed 44 points from 29 games. Remarkably, they’re only four points behind fifth - placed City, who hold the Europa League qualification spot in the division.

Despite the opportunity to claim three points against one of the league’s relegation candidates, Wednesday’s hosts might lack confidence. They’ve suffered four losses in their last five home games and haven’t won at the Vitality Stadium since January.

If Bournemouth can break their poor home record and secure their first top - flight home victory since thrashing Nottingham Forest 5 - 0 over two months ago, they could potentially leapfrog Aston Villa, Fulham, Brighton & Hove Albion, and Newcastle United. This would propel them to sixth place. In the best - case scenario, they’d be just one point behind the defending champions.

On the other hand, Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich has faced difficulties throughout the season. With the threat of relegation hanging over them, they’re determined to avoid another defeat in midweek.

Ahead of their showdown with the Cherries, the Tractor Boys have lost eight of their last nine in the Premier League, including an exhausting 4-2 beating by Forest before the international break.

Such a poor run in 2025 has left McKenna's men 18th in the table with just 17 points, and given that they are nine points from safety, their hopes of survival as a top-flight club seem to be slipping further away each week.

That being said, Wednesday's visitors have fared marginally better on the road this year, and their most recent point was earned in a 1-1 draw on a trip to Villa Park, while their last victory was an FA Cup away day, though it was against Championship Coventry City.

If Ipswich can snatch an unlikely three points from the Vitality, then they could find that they are only six points behind 17th-placed Wolves, but defeat would be disastrous and may even leave them 12 from safety with only eight games remaining.

Bournemouth will be without the versatile Marcus Tavernier once again after he picked up an ankle injury that is expected to keep him out until mid-April.

In his absence, expect David Brooks, Justin Kluivert and Antoine Semenyo to line up as a trio in support of striker Evanilson up top.

Iraola will have centre-back Dean Huijsen and left-back Milos Kerkez available again after they served suspensions at the weekend, and they should make up a four-man defence alongside Lewis Cook and Illia Zabarnyi.

As for Ipswich, midfielders Conor Chaplin - who scored in the reverse fixture - and Sammie Szmodics will not be available due to knee and ankle injuries respectively, so anticipate a pairing of Kalvin Phillips and Jens Cajuste to be joined by Julio Enciso behind striker Liam Delap.

On the flanks, Omari Hutchinson and Jade Philogene-Bidace should provide width, with full-backs Dara O'Shea and Leif Davis overlapping at times.

Bournemouth possible starting lineup:

Arrizabalaga; Cook, Zabarnyi, Huijsen, Kerkez; Christie, Adams; Brooks, Kluivert, Semenyo; Evanilson

Ipswich Town possible starting lineup:

Palmer; O'Shea, Woolfenden, Greaves, Davis; Phillips, Cajuste; Philogene-Bidace, Hutchinson, Enciso; Delap