Third from bottom will meet third from top when Millwall host Ipswich Town at The Den on Saturday.

The visitors go into the match having lost back-to-back games for the first time since August, although their exit from the FA Cup on Wednesday was far less damaging than Millwall's.

The Tractor Boys were narrowly beaten by Premier League high-flyers Southampton at Portman Road, while Millwall slumped to a 4-0 defeat at the hands of League One side Bradford City.

Ipswich are still well placed in the league, however, sitting just one point off top spot despite defeat to promotion rivals Derby County last weekend.

That was their first loss in 12 Championship outings, although Norwich City did their fierce rivals a favour by beating leaders Bournemouth to ensure that the result was not as costly as it could have been.

Mick McCarthy's side remain unbeaten in their last six away games, however, and they will fancy their chances of returning to winning ways this weekend.

The in-demand Tyrone Mings is expected to return to the starting lineup having come off the bench against Southampton, while Cole Skuse should be fit to play after illness kept him out during the week.

Millwall also find themselves needing to pick themselves up from a 1-0 reverse in their last league outing, although to lose to bottom-of-the-table Blackpool is a lot more disappointing than defeat to Derby.

Indeed, coupled with the heavy loss at the hands of Bradford in midweek, Ian Holloway has surely endured his worst few days in charge of the club.

They are now without a win in six matches, failing to score in four of those and only avoiding defeat in one - the 3-3 draw with Bradford in their initial third-round clash.

Two points now separate them from safety, and Holloway cannot afford to let that gap grow much wider over the next few weeks. After this weekend, his side do not play a team in the top eight until March, so he will be desperate to make the most of a relatively kind run of fixtures.

Their home form does not provide much cause for optimism, however. No side has amassed fewer points in front of their own fans than the Lions this season.

They will be without the suspended Mark Beevers after he was sent off early in the defeat to Bradford, but new signing Shaun Cummings could feature from the start.

Millwall:

Form in Championship: LWLLLL
Form in all competitions: LLLDLL

Possible starting lineup: Forde; Cummings, Nelson, Shittu, Harding; Upson, Williams, Martin, McDonald, Woolford; Gregory

Ipswich:

Form in Championship: WDWWWL
Form in all competitions: WWWDLL

Possible starting lineup: Bialkowski; Smith, Berra, Chambers, Mings; Anderson, Bishop, Skuse, Hunt; Murphy, McGoldrick

Sports Mole says: 0-1

Previews by email