IPSWICH Town boss Roy Keane will be hoping a player he gave a debut to at Sunderland, won't return from suspension to haunt him at The Walkers Stadium tomorrow.

Mike Bacon

IPSWICH Town boss Roy Keane will be hoping a player he gave a debut to at Sunderland, won't return from suspension to haunt him at The Walkers Stadium tomorrow.

Teenager Martyn Waghorn made his first-team debut on Boxing Day 2007 for Keane's Sunderland, against Manchester United, the match finishing 4-0 to United.

And after the game Keane heaped praise on the youngster predicting he would have a “long and successful career” in the game.

Keane will no doubt be hoping that successful career doesn't get a kick-start tomorrow afternoon, the striker returning to the Leicester squad after suspension.

“I am obviously grateful to him (Keane) for my debut; it was great for me as a young lad. He's a great manager who knows how to get you going and he has helped me massively on the way.

“But I have moved on now and so has he.”

Keane isn't the only current Ipswich man, Waghorn enjoys links with.

Town's midfield dynamo Jack Colback is close friends with the Leicester striker, the pair being at Sunderland together.

“Jack (Colback) is a good mate of mine but you have no friends on the pitch as they say,” Waghorn admitted.

“If anything, I look forward to it even more, want to get out there and get the three points to give them both a bit of banter later.”

Waghorn is on loan to The Foxes from Sunderland for the rest of the season and returns to a winning Leicester squad tomorrow.

The Foxes are on a three-match winning stint, that has included two Championship victories over Sheffield clubs United and Wednesday.

They are also through to the fourth round of the FA Cup after victory over Swansea.

Nigel Pearson's side are currently in the play-off standings, although that could have changed after today's results.

Ipswich are one of the Championship's form teams and after their long unbeaten run was ended at Crystal Palace on Boxing Day, have bounced back with victories at home to QPR and at Blackpool in the FA Cup.

Town will be without Jon Stead, who is serving the second game of a four-match ban.

City are confident the game will go ahead as they enjoy under soil heating and the club is also taking steps to ensure the stands are free of ice.

Town have a fair record at Leicester having won or drawn 16 times in their 29 visits.

The two sides met on the opening day of the campaign at Portman Road, the match finishing goalless. Tomorrow's game kicks off at 3pm.

Likely squads

Leicester City: Weale, Hobbs, Neilson, Morrison, McGivern, Andy King, Dyer, Gallagher, Oakley, N'Guessan, Wellens, Fryatt, Howard, Kermorgant, Logan, Adams, O'Neill, Berner, Brown, Waghorn.

Ipswich Town: Lee-Barrett, Rosenior, McAuley, Delaney, Wright, Walters, Norris, Leadbitter, Colback, John, Peters, Murphy, Bruce, Garvan, Counago, Priskin, Martin, Edwards, Wickham, Quinn, Balkestein.

Referee: Mr M Haywood (West Yorkshire).