Ipswich Town boss George Burley has set the club a nine-point target for the festive period.

Town are at Fulham on Boxing Day followed by a home game against Stockport two days later and a trip to Port Vale on January 3. It's a huge target for the players but Burley wants to go into the new year challenging for the top two positions in the First Division.

He said: "Christmas is a busy period for everyone, not least of all footballers, but they are professional and have to do a job.

"Football must come first and that means spending a bit of time away from the family and focusing on winning matches for Ipswich Town.

"We have three vital games coming up in a short space of time and we want to win them all. Maximum points from those games will keep up the pressure on the teams above us."

Burley has ordered the players in on Christmas Day at 4pm for light training before they leave for an overnight stay in a London hotel.

They face a tough test at Paul Bracewell's big-spending Fulham but Town will be roared on by around 4,000 fans making the trip to Craven Cottage.

Burley added: "I'm amazed how may people we are taking down there at this time of year. It shows they appreciate the way the team is playing and we're hopeful we can reward their Christmas with three points."

Town are sweating on the fitness of 13-goal striker David Johnson (ankle ligaments) but he is definitely ruled out of the final leg of the Christmas period.

The Town forward will miss the game at Port Vale after being booked for the fifth time this season in last weekend's 3-1 win over West Brom.

Mark Venus returns to the squad but is unlikely to return ahead of the impressive Wayne Brown.

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