It’s been five years since the Blues' last game against Aston Villa. Ross Halls takes a look at where the team from that game are now...
The Villans took all three points in the last clash, thanks to Tammy Abraham scoring twice in the 2-1 win at Villa Park in January 2019.
Paul Lambert's side were on their way to relegation to the third tier, with a Freddie Sears screamer not enough to spark a comeback.
Let's find out where that starting XI are now...
BARTOSZ BIALKOWSKI
The Polish keeper made 178 appearances for Town and won the club’s Player of the Year award for three successive seasons.
Bialkowski retired from football this summer after five seasons at Millwall, having joined the Lions initially on loan from the Blues in the summer of 2019.
LUKE CHAMBERS
The former captain nearly made 400 appearances for the club before he was released in the summer of 2021. He subsequently spent two seasons at Colchester United.
Chambers retired from football last summer and has started his own clothing brand while still living in the area. He has also started doing work in the media.
JAMES COLLINS
The Welshman only played six games at Town during his short spell before he released at the end of the 2018/19 season.
Collins didn't join another club and retired from football in October 2020, where he has since worked in media at his former side West Ham. #
MATTHEW PENNINGTON
The defender was on loan at Town from Everton for the 2018/19 season, making 31 appearances. He went on to have further loans at Hull City and Shrewsbury Town, before joining the latter on a permanent deal in 2021.
Pennington spent two seasons in Shropshire before rejecting a new deal and signing for fellow League One side Blackpool last summer.
MYLES KENLOCK
The left-back made over 100 appearances for Town, before he was released in the summer of 2022, having spent time on loan at Colchester United.
Kenlock signed for Barnet on a three-year deal this summer after spending most of last season at fellow fifth tier side Ebbsfleet United. He also had spells at Barrow and Aldershot Town since he left Portman Road.
COLE SKUSE
The midfielder spent eight years at Portman Road, making more than 250 appearances and left the club to join Colchester United in the summer of 2021.
Skuse retired from playing at the end of the 2022/23 season and is now the manager of Suffolk non-league side Bury Town, who play in the eighth-tier of English football.
TREVOH CHALOBAH
The midfielder was experiencing his first spell of senior football at Portman Road on loan from Chelsea. He showed potential in difficult circumstances.
Chalobah subsequently spent time on loan at Huddersfield and French club Lorient before breaking into the first team at Stamford Bridge. He is now at Crystal Palace on loan for the 2024/25 season after not being in Enzo Maresca's plans.
FLYNN DOWNES
The academy graduate played 100 games and scored three goals for the Blues, before leaving the club to join Swansea for £1.5m in 2021. He then signed for West Ham for £9m, a year later.
Downes recently played a key role in helping the Saints secure promotion to the Premier League during a season-long loan spell from West Ham - and he has now made that move permanent in an £18m deal. He was captained against Town in the 1-1 draw last weekend.
FREDDIE SEARS
The forward scored the consolation in this game which ended up winning the goal of the month award for that season. In total, he netted 34 goals in 217 games during his time at Town before leaving Portman Road to return to Colchester United in 2021.
Sears joined seventh-tier side Chatham Town this summer after spells at Dagenham & Redbridge and Braintree Town last season, helping the latter win promotion to the National League.
ALAN JUDGE
The Irishman had just signed for the Blues from Brentford. He subsequently made 91 appearances for Town, scoring 18 times, before joining Colchester in the summer of 2021.
Judge is currently a free agent, having had a brief spell at fifth-tier side Woking last season after recovering from a knee injury that saw him miss over a year of football.
WILL KEANE
The forward had only just joined on loan from Hull City. He impressed during his first spell and would sign for the Blues on a permeant deal that summer.
Keane scored nine goals in 41 games for Town, before he spent three years at Wigan and is now at fellow Championship side Preston, having joined them last summer.
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