Ipswich Town Women manager Joe Sheehan has said he and his team are excited about the upcoming visit to Manchester City in the FA Cup and they have done a lot of preparation.

The Tractor Girls will face off against the Women's Super League side in the FA Cup fourth round after dispatching Bournemouth in the previous round.

In his pre-match press conference, Sheehan said: "We are definitely excited.

"We were aware of some very high level opposition that were in the draw.

"As we have found out this week, preparing for these type of teams is a long, intense process.

"Whilst it will be a really great occasion, we would have probably preferred to face a team that we would have more chance of being on a level playing field against in terms of where we sit in the football period.

Ipswich Town Women will face Manchester City (Image: Ross Halls)

"We've done a lot of work to prepare for this game."

Town Women last faced Manchester City in 2020, a game which saw the Tractor Girls lose 10-0.

Sheehan added: "We've learned a lot from it.

"The foundation for our preparation for this game was from our previous encounter.

"Both clubs are in different spaces now, with players and staff and levels, but we've taken a lot from that last meeting and it's been an important part of our preparation.

"We've added more depth to our planning this time round which is also helped by the fact that we probably have a higher level of player with due respect to those that played last time.

"We have got players now that have played against teams like this previously.

Ipswich Town manager Joe Sheehan (Image: Ross Halls)

"That 10-0 loss really opened our eyes to what world-leading talent looks like so there have been some takeaways that we have been able to benefit from."

Sheehan's side are unbeaten all season in the league, sitting top, but Sheehan has said that they can't use that form as a confidence boost.

He said: "The game is just so unique in its position, because we're playing a high level team here that have been at the top end of women's football in this country for some years now.

"We prepare for this game in isolation because it's a unique challenge. It's an opposition that we haven't faced in a couple of years now and probably won't for the remainder of the season."

Earlier this week, it was announced that Lauren Phillips was joining the club as assistant manager.

Sheehan added: "It's a good time for her to join us because we have been under a lot of strain trying to do what we want to do to the best of our capabilities.

"This game requires a whole new level of preparation and certainly without her hands on approach with us and her experience, it would have been a whole lot more difficult.

"She's been a great addition to us and she has already hit the ground running and she will be a really useful person to have alongside us this Sunday and beyond that as well."