Leicester City - v - Leeds United ***Matchday Thread***

[BelfastAndy]

TEAM NEWS

Leicester will assess Ricardo Pereira and James Maddison, who are nursing respective hamstring and back injuries.

This game may come too soon for James Justin, while fellow defenders Timothy Castagne, Jonny Evans, Wesley Fofana and Ryan Bertrand remain out.

New head coach Jesse Marsch says Leeds will continue to evaluate Patrick Bamford, who returned to training on Thursday following a foot problem.

Marsch added that Diego Llorente is doubtful with an unspecified issue.

Kalvin Phillips and Liam Cooper are still sidelined.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

Leeds are unbeaten in their last five league games away to Leicester (W2, D3).

The Whites won 3-1 at the King Power Stadium last season and have the chance to record back-to-back away league victories against the Foxes for the first time in 40 years.

Leicester City

Leicester have dropped seven points from winning positions in their last three home league matches (D2, L1).

Only two teams have failed to win in four consecutive Premier League home games despite leading in each of those fixtures - Norwich did so in five games between December 2019 and January 2020, while Chelsea did so in four from February to April 1996.

Brendan Rodgers' side are vying to win successive top-flight fixtures for the second time this season and can record consecutive clean sheets in the league for the first time in 13 months.

This will be Leicester's 300th Premier League home match.

Harvey Barnes has scored in all three of his top-flight appearances against Leeds - the only players to have netted in four consecutive Premier League matches against the Whites are Alan Shearer (1992 to 1995) and Thierry Henry (2002 to 2004).

Barnes is set to play his 100th Premier League match.Patson Daka has been involved in six goals in his last six appearances at the King Power Stadium in all competitions, scoring five and assisting one.

Leeds United

Leeds conceded 20 Premier League goals in February, a record for any side in a single month.

They have conceded at least twice in the opening 45 minutes in each of their last five Premier League games, a record by any side in the division.

The Whites have let in 40 goals in their past 12 league matches, including 24 in their last six away fixtures.

If Leeds suffer a fifth consecutive defeat it would be their longest losing streak in the top flight since a six-match sequence between December 2003 and February 2004.

Including caretakers, six of the last seven managers to take charge of Leeds in the Premier League have lost their first game in the competition.

1 - 2.

MOT.

[cherrypie7]

This will be an interesting game. Marsch being American will definitely have 4 at the back. Of that I am pretty sure. How will we defend corners? Don't know. Leicester play rather narrow at the back, so maybe we will see Harrison and Raphinha galloping down flanks? I really don't know. I am also reasonably sure we will not see James playing at centre forward. Those days are over. It will be Rodrigo or Gelhardt or both (?). Fingers crossed we get something out of this match.

[BelfastAndy]

Hopefully both up front indeed. Not James.

[bathlad61]

As above, no more square / pegs round holes. For periods MB had little choice, also be interesting if we could have 2 up front, need to start finding the back of the net again, and defence stopping playing statues.

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Hope Bamf fit to play at least some of the game

[Ozwhites]

Burnley held them to nil until the 80th minute. The way our defence is going, I'm not real sure we can do the same...especially if Vardy and Maddison start. 🙄 He needs to tighten that area first as the number one priority.

[joellufcprice]

After months without Vardy and it clearly being the reason they've struggled he has just come back just in time to play us.

We need a point, no messing about this is a team we need to start getting results against if we are to stay up can't just assume we are going to beat Norwich etc, we still have to pick up wins against the likes of Leicester, Villa, Saints, Wolves etc

[Ozwhites]

Hope Bamf fit to play at least some of the game

Plenty of us share that sentiment Hopey. Let's be hoped when the time arrives...including Phillips as well..that our expectations aren't set a little too high with what the difference will be. Would be massive ins for us, but haven't been there for such a long period that there will have to be some doubt about the level they can quickly get back to. 😮

[klix]

After months without Vardy and it clearly being the reason they've struggled he has just come back just in time to play us.

We need a point, no messing about this is a team we need to start getting results against if we are to stay up can't just assume we are going to beat Norwich etc, we still have to pick up wins against the likes of Leicester, Villa, Saints, Wolves etc

No we need an improved performance from the last 2 months, that's a start

Not a 6 7 or 4 defeat.

An improvement will suffice at this stage
Little acorns and all that.
This leicester team is better than the hammering Frank lampards lot gave us.

[BelfastAndy]

Burnley held them to nil until the 80th minute. The way our defence is going, I'm not real sure we can do the same...especially if Vardy and Maddison start. 🙄 He needs to tighten that area first as the number one priority.

Maddison looking unlikely