IPSWICH Town will head to Wigan Athletic on Saturday for a crunch Championship showdown with an important presence missing from their coaching team on the touchline at the DW Stadium.

The Blues will be without manager Paul Lambert in their technical area after he received a two-match ban and was fined £3,000 following a misconduct charge from the Football Association after he received a red card in the derby game at Norwich City two weeks ago.

But even though he will have to watch the game at Wigan, as well as his team's home game against Reading the following weekend, from the stands, Lambert insists that his players will still be in good hands.

"It’s not ideal but I trust my staff to do what I ask them to do," he said.

"There will be no problem there.

“Will it make a difference, not being on the touchline?

"I don’t know.

"I can talk to the players before the game and after.

"They will know what is expected of them.”

Despite him placing his trust in his coaching staff, the ban for Lambert could not have come at a worse time as Ipswich face two games in eight days that could be vital to their chances of staying in the Championship this year.

They are still bottom in the standings and nine points from safety, with their next two outings coming against the sides who are currently just the right side of the divide between the drop zone and the rest of the table.

Wigan head into Saturday's game 14 points better off than Town, while Reading are just nine above the Blues so they are crucial games to be missing a key presence on the touchline.

Lambert received his punishment after getting embroiled in an altercation involving players and staff of both clubs during the derby clash at Carrow Road, with the Blues boss being issued a red card that saw him banished to the stands for the second half of that game.

Ipswich have also been fined £20,000 as a club for their players' involvement in the same incident that saw their manager dismissed and also for a melee that occured in the 90th minute of the feisty encounter.

Norwich have been fined £25,000 by the FA.

Lambert didn’t appeal against the charge but sent a letter to the Football Association outlining the mitigating circumstances surrounding his dismissal.

He added: “There was no point appealing because I wasn’t going to win but I have had my say about what when on and I stand by every word.

“I’ll get on with it now."