Peterborough United manager demands some pre-Christmas cheer, but will he drop Siriki Dembele?

Siriki Dembele in action for Posh against MK Dons. Photo: Joe Dent/theposh.com.

Ferguson believes a win over promotion rivals Ipswich Town at the Weston Homes Stadium on Saturday (December 19, 3pm) would set Posh up for a tough-looking run of fixtures over the festive period and into the new year.

After a trip to mid-table Gillingham on Boxing Day, Posh host seventh-placed Charlton (December 29) and sixth-placed Doncaster (January 2) before travelling to fourth-placed Lincoln on January 9.

Posh are currently third, but only ahead of fifth-placed Ipswich on goal difference.

Nathan Thompson should be back in the Posh squad for the visit of Ipswich. Photo: Joe Dent/theposh.com.

“If we win on Saturday we would have had a good week,” Ferguson stated. “And we would be in great shape for the Christmas games.

“We’d still be a little bit behind where we wanted to be in terms of points, but that would be perfection and that’s hard to achieve.

“Ipswich have had many injuries, but they still have some strong, experienced players in their side.

“They’ve been playing Ollie Hawkins and Kayden Jackson up front recently and they are a handful for a start.

“They’ve had a tough run like we did, but they won on Tuesday night so it’s going to be another competitive game in what was always going to be a very tough and tight league.

“But it really is self-explanatory for my players. When we give a certain level of performance we can beat the best sides in League One, but when we let those standards slip we get beaten.”

Ferguson has selection dilemmas on Saturday. He could choose to rest a couple of the younger players who have performed so well in the last two matches, while he could also leave out star forward Siriki Dembele after appearing to criticise him directly after Tuesday’s draw at MK Dons.

Experienced defender Nathan Thompson will return after injury, while left-sided player Dan Butler was back in action at MK Dons.

Teenage striker Ricky-Jade Jones is set to feature for the first time since the defeat at Sunderland late in September.

“I don’t mind the tough decisions,” Ferguson added. “I want players in the side who will give me the right sort of application. Age doesn’t come into it.”

Possible Posh team (3-4-2-1).

Pym

Kent, Thompson, Beevers.

Kanu, Brown, Taylor, Butler.

Szmodics, Dembele.

Clarke-Harris.