A victory against Randers FC has kept Leicester City's dreams of European success this season alive, but now Brendan Rodgers faces a very different challenge ahead of him, facing off against a Wolverhampton Wanderers side who have been almost impenetrable under Bruno Lage.
The situation with both defences could not be further away from each other, with Wolves having the second best defensive record in the Premier League, trumping the likes of Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool and Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea, while Leicester City have been an utter shambles defensively this season, conceding the fifth highest number of goals in the Premier League this season, which has affected the fans' ambitions for the season drastically.
Another reason that Leicester fans may be fearful of this fixture is because of how poor the Leicester team have been when defending set pieces, conceding sixteen goals from those situations, the most out of any team in the Premier League, which is extremely concerning going into this game as Wolves have a plethora of aerial threats, from the ever-dangerous Raul Jiminez to imposing defenders such as Romain Saiss and Max Kilman who have consistently provided physical presences in the opponent's box for Wolves.
Despite this, a showing of character and spirit was on display for all to see by the Leicester team against West Ham, and came away from the game disappointed that they didn't gain all three points despite being the underdogs going into the game, certainly something fans will be wanting more of at this stage of the season.
Team News...
More bad news for Leicester fans as there are concerns over the fitness of centre back Çağlar Söyüncü and attacking midfielder James Maddison after they were both hooked off the pitch in the second half of the Foxes' Europa Conference League first leg tie against Randers. If their injuries are serious enough for them both to be left out of the side, Brendan Rodgers will look to his squad for some backup, and despite having a strong pool of quality players, no other midfield member of the squad has quite been able to be as impactful as James Maddison this season, providing six goals and three assists in twenty-two Premier League appearances for Leicester, only being outscored by winger Harvey Barnes and club legend Jamie Vardy. The former Norwich City man is going to be a huge miss for Leicester if he isn't included in the squad tomorrow, and all eyes will be on the man who steps up to take his place.
The most likely candidate to fill the role left by Maddison is Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who recently scored his first goal for Leicester against Randers on Thursday night. In his most recent press conference, Brendan Rodgers highlighted how important Dewsbury-Hall is for his team:
"He's been a real catalyst since he's played that second half against Southampton and I still think there's a lot more to come from him, he'll add goals, his final pass, these things will get better as he gains more experience and he's got that bit of tenacity as well which you see in games so yeah he's been a really really important player for us..."
However, it isn't all doom and gloom for Leicester fans as Brendan Rodgers highlighted in the same press conference that Ricardo Pereira will "hopefully be fine" for the game against Wolves, giving the Portuguese right back the opportunity to build on the back of his goal against West Ham in Leicester's last Premier League game, and after he recently penned a new deal, keeping him at The King Power until 2026, he'll be ready to give everything for the club.
Managers Have Their Say...
Both Brendan Rodgers had their say on the two sides' differing amounts of time to spend preparing for the match at Molineux, with Leicester playing a match in Europe over the week while Wolves did not:
Leicester City Manager Brendan Rodgers:
"It's always [tough] when yoy have European football and you've got to get them recovered and then go again on the Sunday but that's part of success when you've done well and you've qualified to play in Europe but that's all part of the game, so yeah we'll get ready for that, recover the next couple of days and look forward to the game on Sunday."
Wolverhampton Wanderers Manager Bruno Lage:
“When you come from a solid performance, four goals, the environment they left the stadium, of course they come with that. Imagine if they lose, it’s different. What they did (on Thursday) was very good, so we need to be on top and ready to play against them. Every team brings a different challenge, systems and dynamics, so it’s a massive experience.”
Predicted XIs...
Wolverhampton Wanderers: Jose Sa, Conor Coady, Max Kilman, Romain Saiss, Nelson Semedo, Rayan Ait Nouri, Leander Dendoncker, Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho, Raul Jiminez, Daniel Podence.
Leicester City: Kasper Schmeichel, Ricardo Pereira, Daniel Amartey, Yannick Vestergaard, Marc Albrighton, Wilfred N'Didi, Youri Tielemans, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Ademola Lookman, Harvey Barnes, Patson Daka.
Ones To Watch:
Ricardo Pereira
When he was brought in from Porto in 2018, Ricardo Pereira was coming off of being one of the best fullbacks in Portugal, and his reputation has preceded him with his blistering pace, physical strength and sweeping crosses becoming a vital part of Brendan Rodgers' side and it is safe to say that the Foxes are a far better side with Pereira in it than they are when he's not.
No other player in the Leicester team has quite managed to replicate what Pereira brings to this Leicester side, with Marc Albrighton coming the closest in both attacking output and defensive ability. And it appears that Pereira likes it in Leicestershire considering his decision to sign a new contract with the Foxes, keeping him at the club until he's the age of thirty-three. Against Wolves, he will have to be as sharp as possible, bombing up and down the pitch constantly if he hopes to get himself back to full fitness and become indispensable once more.
Joao Moutinho
The veteran midfielder has been such an integral part of this Wolves team, using his experience to dictate play and see out a game for the three points. However, Moutinho has been absent from Wolves' last two Premier League games due to a calf injury, but he has now returned to full training and is expected to come back to the side against Leicester City.
As well as Moutinho dictating play, he also has a keen eye for goal, striking in his last two appearances away from home in the Premier League, both victories, against Manchester United and Brentford. Keep an eye out for the man, for he may pop up when least expected.
How To Watch...
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Leicester City is being shown live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League at 16:30PM (GMT) on Sunday.