Ipswich Town boss Jim Magilton says his team's game at relegation-threatened Scunthorpe on Saturday will be far from easy.

The Tractor Boys head into the fixture sitting just outside the play-offs, but Magilton feels a difficult afternoon is in store as Town face a United team hungry to survive.

"I would prefer to play a team in the middle of the table than ones that are fighting for their lives to avoid relegation," he told the East Anglian Daily Times.

"I think this year the play-offs will be gained with lower points than normal with 75 considered to be a target to confirm qualification.

"But this year it could be a few points less than that with so many clubs involved that they will be taking points off each other.

"If we win five or possibly six of those we should qualify for the play-offs.

"Then we can take it from there as we look to gain promotion."

Ipswich are without former Scunthorpe man Jonathan Walters (who has just had knee surgery) and hamstring injury victim Shefki Kuqi.

Richard Naylor and David Norris are also big doubts with a slipped disc and heel injury respectively.

Striker Alan Lee has happy memories of the ground, having won promotion with Burnley at Glanford Park on the final day of the 1999/2000 season.

"I've got happy memories of the place as we managed to get promotion there," Lee said.

"I can't quite remember whether we needed to win or just get a point but either way we did it, so it was a special day.

"It's a nice little club and ground."