Leicester City will aim to make it two wins from their opening two outings of the Championship season on Saturday, when they travel to West Yorkshire to take on Huddersfield Town.

The Foxes began their bid to win an immediate promotion back to the Premier League with a home triumph over Coventry City last weekend, while their hosts kicked off away at Plymouth Argyle and suffered a defeat.

Match preview

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After appointing Neil Warnock in mid-February, with the side in real danger of relegation from the Championship, Huddersfield Town enjoyed a fine end to the 2022-23 season, eventually finishing 18th with 53 points, nine clear of the drop zone largely thanks to three consecutive wins in their final three outings.

On the back of that escape, Warnock committed another year to the club and led the Terriers into the new campaign with the aim of again securing safety in England's second tier, and they would prepare with friendlies against Tavistock and Heerenveen before beginning the season with a tough trip to newly-promoted Plymouth Argyle last Saturday.

Morgan Whittaker put their hosts ahead within six minutes of that contest, and while Michal Helik did draw the Terriers level on the stroke of half time, they would come away empty-handed as Bali Mumba and Ryan Hardie went on to net second-half goals to seal a 3-1 home win.

The Yorkshire outfit then turned their focus to EFL Cup action on Tuesday as they hosted Middlesbrough in a first-round tie, and after going ahead through Kian Harratt in the fourth minute, Warnock's side were quickly reduced to 10 men as Jaheim Headley was sent off, with Samuel Silvera, Isaiah Jones and Riley McGree then turning the game on its head with goals for the visitors, while Kyle Hudlin's goal came too late to force a comeback as they eventually bowed out of the competition with a 3-2 defeat.

Now keen to bounce back from the disappointment of their first week of competitive action this term, the Terriers will look to put their first points on the board in their first home league outing of the season this weekend.

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That will be no easy task, though, as the visitors arrive aiming to continue a positive start to life under new management following their relegation from the Premier League last season.

After being unable to stave off the drop, just seven years after winning the English top flight, the Leicester City hierarchy turned to Enzo Maresca over the summer, tasking the Italian with leading them back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, and they prepared with a friendly win over Northampton Town and a meeting with Liverpool which ended in a 4-0 defeat.

The Foxes then kicked off their league campaign at home to Coventry City on Sunday, and after going behind following Kyle McFadzean's opener, they would draw level in the 77th minute through a Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall header, before he curled in the winner three minutes from time to ensure his side earned all three points in their curtain-raiser.

Like Saturday's hosts, Maresca's men were then in EFL Cup first-round action in midweek, as they made the short trip to third-tier Burton Albion and progressed with a 2-0 victory, courtesy of first-half goals from Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfried Ndidi.

Now with a renewed sense of optimism in the camp following a dismal year last time around and the change over the summer, Leicester will look to make it two wins from two league outings this weekend as they aim to establish themselves in the leading pack in the second tier in the coming weeks.

Team News

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After rotating his squad heavily for Tuesday's EFL Cup game, Neil Warnock will revert to a similar starting XI to their curtain-raiser on Saturday, although key defender Matty Pearson will likely miss out after coming off in the first half at Plymouth, meaning Jonathan Hogg may deputise in a makeshift centre-back role alongside Michal Helik.

Josh Ruffels will certainly come back in on the left-hand side of the defence, with Jaheim Headley suspended after his red card against Middlesbrough, while Rarmani Edmonds-Green and Jack Rudoni could reform their midfield partnership.

Ahead of them, Sorba Thomas and Josh Koroma should start on the flanks in support of a lone striker, with Danny Ward expected to be given the nod, although Kian Harratt and Kyle Hudlin do also have claims to lead the line after their goals in midweek.

Leicester also rotated between Sunday and Wednesday's matches, and given the depth of his squad, Maresca has plenty of decisions to make, including in attack with Kelechi Iheanacho pushing to again lead the line, having scored away at Burton Albion after Jamie Vardy was preferred for the league-curtain raiser, with Patson Daka also fighting to feature up front.

Summer signing Stephy Mavididi is bound to come back in on the left wing, while Kasey McAteer will hope to regain his spot on the other flank, with Dewsbury-Hall also certain to come back in from the start after his brace in the Coventry victory, likely alongside Wilfried Ndidi and Harry Winks.

With Conor Coady's Foxes debut still being delayed by an injury, Wout Faes and Jannik Vestergaard could again partner up in the middle of the defence, although Harry Souttar is also fighting to come in in the middle, while Manchester City loanee Callum Doyle will feature on the left-hand side and Ricardo Pereira and James Justin will compete to start at right-back.

Huddersfield Town possible starting lineup:
Nicholls; Edwards, Bond, Helik, Ruffels; Rudoni, Edmonds-Green; Thomas, Diarra, Koroma; Ward

Leicester City possible starting lineup:
Hermansen; Pereira, Faes, Vestergaard, Doyle; Ndidi, Winks, Dewsbury-Hall; McAteer, Iheanacho, Mavididi

We say: Huddersfield Town 0-2 Leicester City

While Huddersfield should be resolute and disciplined on home turf, we do not see them having enough to fend off a Leicester side who are full of quality and playing with confidence under their new boss.


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Written by
Sam Varley

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