Aiming to keep up with the unrelenting pace of their promotion rivals at the top of the division, Leicester City will welcome a relegation-threatened Birmingham City side to the King Power Stadium on Saturday afternoon in the Championship.
The Foxes showcased their powers of recovery to secure three points versus Norwich City on Easter Monday, whilst Blues enjoyed a memorable day at St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park, defeating Preston North End.
Match preview
© Reuters
Following a run of one win in their last six Championship matches - and three-straight games without victory across all competitions - disgruntled Leicester supporters were fearing the worst when some lacklustre defending allowed Gabriel Sara to poke home unmarked from a corner to put Norwich ahead on Monday afternoon, but the East Midlanders produced a much-needed comeback.
Always keen to provide a moment of magic from the engine room, former Luton Town loanee Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall netted an equaliser for the Foxes prior to the half-time whistle, before strikes from Stephy Mavididi and club legend Jamie Vardy secured their first win at the King Power since February 13.
On an action-packed Easter Monday when Leeds United and Ipswich Town both collected three points in front of their respective home faithful, Enzo Maresca's men remained third in the Championship standings by the end of the day, but Leicester have crucially played a game fewer than the Whites and the Tractors Boys, meaning that the 2015-16 Premier League champions still have their promotion destiny in their own hands.
Foxes fans were delighted to see a formidable midfield trio of Wilfred Ndidi, Harry Winks and Dewsbury-Hall running like clockwork once again on Easter Monday, with the latter of that trio recently being nominated for the Championship's Player of the Season award alongside Leeds' Crysencio Summerville and Blackburn Rovers' hotshot Sammie Szmodics.
Owing to an FA Cup fourth-round meeting in late January, Leicester have already faced off against Birmingham in 2024 at the King Power Stadium, where - following an insipid first-half performance - strikes from Vardy, Yunus Akgun and Belgium's Dennis Praet sealed the Foxes' passage into the last 16.
© Reuters
After seven-straight Championship matches without success since the temporary departure of Tony Mowbray due to a medical diagnosis, interim manager Gary Rowett led Birmingham City to a vitally-important victory at St Andrew's on Monday afternoon, when Bluenoses were given the day to remember thanks to their players and the club's forward-thinking ownership.
With the game heading towards a frustrating stalemate, an untimely Liam Lindsay slip allowed Jay Stansfield the freedom of the Preston half, and after bearing down on goal for what felt like an eternity to those supporters packed into the Tilton Road end, the Fulham loanee held his nerve brilliantly to coolly finish past Freddie Woodman.
As part of a double-header at the newly-named St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park, Blues supporters were able to bask in the glory of three points for two hours' longer, with Birmingham-born band UB40 performing a special concert following the full-time whistle, providing an exciting insight into the event-based plans owner Tom Wagner could have in store for when Blues eventually move into their 'super stadium' on the recently-acquired Wheels site.
Despite the party atmosphere in the Second City as Forever True reverberated around the ground, all those of a Blues persuasion know that there is still plenty of work to do in order to secure Championship safety this season, with Rowett's men currently 20th in the Championship, just two points ahead of 22nd-placed Huddersfield Town with only six matches left to play.
Maximum points versus Ryan Lowe's Lilywhites were vital considering Birmingham's recent record against Leicester City, with Saturday's visitors losing seven-straight meetings with their East Midlands counterparts stretching back to August 2013, although Blues' last result against the Foxes did arrive at the King Power in April 2013, when a late Chris Burke penalty forced a share of the spoils.
Team News
© Reuters
After breaking into Maresca's first-team thinking following a number of injury woes at the beginning of the term, Tom Cannon is back in the Leicester medical room due to a leg injury.
The Foxes are also without one of their options on the flanks, with Kasey McAteer sidelined until later this month, burdening the likes of Mavididi and Abdul Fatawu with greater creative responsibility.
As is the case with Cannon, another Leicester youngster is suffering with a leg injury in the form of Ben Nelson, meaning that Jannik Vestergaard and Wout Faes are assured of their spots at centre-back.
In need of big characters on the pitch during the fight for survival, Birmingham are unable to call upon the talents of Lukas Jutkiewicz, who is currently battling with an injury sustained in the loss to Watford prior to the international break.
Rowett deployed a back three in his first away match at Queens Park Rangers and could opt for a defence-first approach at the King Power, with natural full-back Lee Buchanan potentially operating on the left of a centre-back trio.
Fresh from his nomination for the Championship's Young Player of the Season award earlier in the week, Jordan James should be in the engine room for the visitors once again alongside Krystian Bielik and Paik Seung-ho.
Leicester City possible starting lineup:
Hermansen; Pereira, Faes, Vestergaard, Doyle; Ndidi, Winks, Dewsbury-Hall; Fatawu, Mavididi, Daka
Birmingham City possible starting lineup:
Ruddy; Laird, Aiwu, Sanderson, Buchanan; Paik, Bielik, Miyoshi, James, Bacuna; Stansfield
We say: Leicester City 3-1 Birmingham City
Leicester cannot afford any more unexpected slip-ups in the automatic promotion race, with Saturday's clash against Birmingham a good chance to earn maximum points.
Blues will be more confident heading to the King Power following the Preston success, but we are still expecting the Foxes to come out on top in the East Midlands.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Carter White
