Leicester City travel to Carrow Road on Friday evening to face Premier League strugglers Norwich City.
The Foxes are coming off the back of a disappointing 1-0 loss to Manchester City on Saturday. Brendan Rodgers’ side performed well for the majority of the game but after many missed chances, Gabriel Jesus pounced with ten minutes to go to seal the win.
Three points for the Foxes will be crucial in making sure their Champions League spot is secured, with multiple teams applying pressure, with the Canaries also desperate for three points as they aim to stave off relegation back to the Championship.
Opponent Overview
Norwich have endured a tough season so far, as they currently sit at the foot of the Premier League table with only four wins from their 27 games.
Daniel Farke’s side will be coming up against their former player of the season, James Maddison, who will be making his first return to Carrow Road after leaving in 2018.
The Canaries are struggling at the bottom of the table and despite playing an attacking style of football they have failed to pick up the all-important points.
To come away with a victory would help to possibly light a spark which could increase their survival hopes.
Team News
Norwich have been littered with injuries throughout the season and this remains the case. Sam Byram, Onel Hernandez, Christoph Zimmerman and Timm Klose are all out for the Canaries.
Leicester will have Hamza Choudhury back available after his one match suspension. However, Wilfred Ndidi is likely to remain out for this game as his injury continues to be assessed by the Foxes’ medical staff.
After injuries and suspensions to all their defensive midfielders, Leicester played in a 3-5-2 formation against Manchester City. This may be the case once again against Norwich after Christian Fuchs and Dennis Praet performed well.
Predicted Line-Ups
Norwich City: Krul, Aarons, Hanley, Godfrey, Lewis, McLean, Tettey, Buendia, Duda, Cantwell, Pukki.
Leicester City: Schmeichel, Ricardo, Soyuncu, Evans, Fuchs, Chilwell, Maddison, Choudhury, Tielemans, Vardy, Iheanacho.
Previous Meeting
Earlier in the season, Norwich travelled to the King Power Stadium to face a Leicester side that had won nine games in a row heading into the fixture.
However, it was the Canaries that took a shock lead through Teemu Pukki. The Finnish striker was played through by Emi Buendia and tucked his effort past Kasper Schmeichel.
But just before half time, Maddison whipped a corner into the area and Jamie Vardy headed towards goal. The home fans thought he’d continued his impressive scoring streak but it was Tim Krul who had directed the ball into the net.
The Foxes couldn’t claim a winner despite 18 shots on goal and Norwich were able to travel home with a valuable point.
Manager’s Comments
Brendan Rodgers has called on his team to improve over the next few weeks. He said: ‘’I think we can be better, there’s no doubt about that.
‘’The start of the season was exceptional and since December there’s been some inconsistency. The games that are coming up are really exciting but we just need to focus on the next game’’
The Foxes boss also praised Friday’s opponents: ‘’Norwich have shown that they are a dangerous team…for us, we know it’s going to be a tough game.’’
Daniel Farke wants to see his side give their all. He said: ''I want us to leave our hearts on the pitch and show great unity and tactically smart behaviour. Then everyone can say we tried everything.''
