Kieran McKenna outlines Ipswich Town priorities ahead of Burnley and Sheffield Wednesday clashes | OneFootball

Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna admitted he will have to prioritise their League One promotion push ahead of tonight’s FA Cup tie against Burnley at Turf Moor.

The Tractor Boys held the runaway Championship leaders to a 0-0 draw at Portman Road last Saturday, meaning a replay is needed to determine who progresses to the fifth round of the competition.

But McKenna’s side are facing a huge league game this weekend when they host League One leaders Sheffield Wednesday and the game has taken on extra significance after their poor recent run of form.

Ipswich have won just one of their last six league games which has seen them drop to third in the table, six points behind Plymouth Argyle and the Owls, while Derby County are also now only two points behind them in fourth, with the Rams also having a game in hand.

McKenna says the importance of Saturday’s game may be reflected in his team selection against the Clarets, but he also stressed the need to compete in the tie.

“I think we all know that Sheffield Wednesday is the biggest game of the week,” McKenna told the BBC.

“But, on the other hand, we need to be competitive as a squad [against Burnley]. We’ve worked hard to get to that point and we need to make sure we represent ourselves with pride.

“We need to find the right balance to do that while making sure we have a good team ready for Saturday.

“Tuesday is a really tough game and we need to go there with a resilience and the right mindset to be in any way competitive in the game.”

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Ipswich were founded in 1878

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The verdict

This is a significant dilemma for McKenna.

His side have done well to earn a replay against Burnley, who have been in outstanding form in the Championship, while they beat another second tier side in Rotherham United in the last round to reach this stage.

But with their automatic promotion hopes faltering, the game against Wednesday feels crucial and it is one they cannot afford to lose, so they must ensure they do not pick up any injuries to key players before then.

However, McKenna does have a strong squad at his disposal and even if he does make a few changes, he should still be able to field a competitive team against the Clarets.