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Leicester v CHELSEA: Preview

Date: Saturday 14th January, 2017
Venue: King Power Stadium
Kick-off: 17:30 GMT

Today’s late game sees us away at Leicester, with the current champions 28 points behind us instead of the 17 ahead they were at the same stage last year. But whilst Ranieri and Leicester’s season isn’t going as well as they might have hoped, they showed against City they’ve still got some fire in their bellies.
As for Chelsea, after 13 consecutive wins the defeat when it came last week was all the tougher to take because it was Spurs ending the run. Add to that, the rumours surrounding Diego Costa being whipped up by the press, and you’d have to think this game will show us just how much character we really do have.

MANAGER’S VIEWS
Going into today’s game, Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri says “Chelsea lost to Tottenham after 13 [consecutive wins] – amazing achievement. We expect a lot from them but we are ready to fight and win. I expect a strong reaction from them. They are old champions and they want to make up for defeat.”
Chelsea boss Antonio Conte meanwhile, says “The Leicester game is very important for us to restart to win. Leicester are the champions from last season, they have a lot of good players with good quality, they have impressed me. I consider them a really good team with good players, strong players, players with talent and technique, a good mix. They have a great manager.”

SQUAD NEWS
For Leicester, Leonardo Ulloa (thigh) is injured, whilst Mahrez, Slimani and Daniel Amartey are all missing through Africa Cup of Nations. Jamie Vardy returns after illness.
For Chelsea, John Terry is suspended after last week’s red card and Conte will apparently monitor the fitness of a couple of unnamed players before naming his team (aka we’ll find out if the Costa rumours are true!). Nathan Ake is available after being recalled from his loan spell at Bournemouth.

TEAMS
LEICESTER (Possible line-up): Schmeichel; Simpson, Huth, Morgan, Fuchs; Musa, Ndidi, Drinkwater, Albrighton; Okazaki; Vardy
CHELSEA (Possible line-up): Courtois; Azpilicueta, Cahill, Luiz; Moses, Kante, Matic, Ake; Hazard, Batshuayi, Pedro

LAST SEASON
Leicester 2-1 Chelsea (14th December 2015)

RECENT FORM (PL)
LEICESTER: DWLDL
CHELSEA: LWWWW

OTHER STUFF
~ Leicester have won just one of the last nine league meetings
~ Chelsea have won three of their last four Premier League visits to Leicester
~ Eighteen of Leicester’s 21 Premier League points this season have come at home.
~ Leicester are aiming to keep three consecutive clean sheets for the first time in this season’s Premier League.
~ Chelsea have kept 11 Premier League clean sheets this season

PREDICTIONS
BBC Sport: Leicester 2-1 Chelsea
Sportslens: Leicester 1-2 Chelsea
Sky Sports: Leicester 1-2 Chelsea

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