Leicester City play host to Queens Park Rangers on Saturday afternoon looking to bounce back from suffering successive defeats in the Championship.
At a time when the Foxes hold a six-point lead at the top of the standings, QPR have finally moved outside of the relegation zone after back-to-back wins.
Match preview
© Reuters
Although Leicester have only suffered six defeats in the Championship this campaign, head coach Enzo Maresca is no stranger to having to cope with double setbacks.
Earlier in the season, the Foxes lost twice in a row and then proceeded to put together an 11-match undefeated streak, reaffirming their dominance in the second tier.
Recent losses to Middlesbrough and Leeds United have most certainly put Leicester on the back foot to the most extent that they have been all season, the latter now within six points of first place.
Leicester also hold just a six-point advantage in the race for automatic promotion, but the East Midlands outfit were able to bounce back in midweek as they recorded a 1-0 victory over Premier League outfit Bournemouth in the FA Cup fifth round.
That has set up a quarter-final date at Chelsea, moving Leicester one game away from an appearance at Wembley, and the added distraction will increase the desire of Maresca and his players to get back on track in the league.
© Reuters
Despite facing a club that has been in and around the relegation places all season, complacency would not have been an issue with QPR the form team in that area of the division.
A total of 14 points have been accumulated from their last seven games, with their only defeat coming away at relegation rivals Stoke City who have since dropped into the bottom three.
QPR were able to move past the Potters courtesy of their 2-1 victory over Rotherham United last weekend, with Marti Cifuentes's team overturning a deficit to defeat the bottom-placed side.
Their upcoming fixture list increases in difficulty, with West Bromwich Albion their opponents after this game, yet the Hoops will be unwavering in their growing confidence that they can move away from the drop zone over the coming weeks.
Team News
© Reuters
Having rung the changes in midweek, Maresca will revert back to a Leicester XI not too dissimilar to the one that started against Leeds.
Kelechi Iheanacho has put himself in contention for a start, either down the centre of the attack or in a deeper role behind Patson Daka.
Jamie Vardy will be assessed after a knock, but Wilfred Ndidi will remain on the sidelines for this contest, while Jannik Vestergaard is serving a suspension.
While Paul Smyth is in line to return to the QPR starting lineup, Cifuentes may be against dropping Joe Hodge for a game of this difficulty, preferring to be more compact in the centre.
Smyth may ultimately miss out to Chris Willock and Ilias Chair, but Lyndon Dykes is a candidate to replace Michael Frey in attack.
Leicester City possible starting lineup:
Hermansen; Choudbury, Faes, Doyle, Justin; Pereira, Winks; Mavididi, Dewsbury-Hall, Fatawu; Daka
Queens Park Rangers possible starting lineup:
Begovic; Dunne, Cook, Clarke-Salter, Paal; Hayden, Colback; Willock, Hodge, Chair; Dykes
We say: Leicester City 3-1 Queens Park Rangers
Given the contrasting league form of the two teams, QPR will feel that they have the opportunity to become the latest team to overcome the Foxes. However, Maresca's side can only have benefitted from defeating Bournemouth, leading us to predict a hard-earned home victory.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
