Leicester City welcome high-flying Newcastle United to the King Power Stadium in a Boxing Day encounter.
Depending upon results elsewhere, victory could see Leicester climb as high as 10th in the table.
Newcastle meanwhile can go second with a win because Manchester City aren’t in action until Wednesday evening (28 December).
Team News
Jonny Evans is a doubt for Leicester with a calf injury which kept him out of the Foxes’ Carbao Cup win at MK Dons.
Caglar Soyuncu (hamstring) and Kieran Dewsbury-Hall (calf) could return but James Justin, Ricardo Pereira (both Achilles) and Ryan Bertrand (knee) remain absent.
Brendan Rogers will have James Maddison and Nampalys Mendy available for selection, after the pair were their only World Cup players who didn’t feature in the Foxes’ Carabao Cup win at MK Dons – but Mendy was an unused substitute in that game.
Maddison meanwhile had struggled with a knee injury which forced him to skip the MK Dons match, but could return if he passes a late fitness test.
Newcastle could be without Elliot Anderson as the midfielder continues to recover from some minor knocks.
Emil Krafth (knee), Paul Dummett, Matt Ritchie (both calf) and Alexander Isak (muscle) remain absent.
Stat Attack
- Leicester have won four of their last six meetings against Newcastle (W4, L2).
- Newcastle have won three of their last five visits to Leicester (W3, L2).
- Brendan Rogers’ Foxes are yet to concede a penalty kick against Newcastle in 30 previous Premier League meetings.
- Leicester have won five of six matches this season in which Harvey Barnes scored at least one goal (W5, L1), with their only loss in a game where Barnes scored coming 2-1 at Chelsea in August.
- Newcastle’s Miguel Almiron has scored four goals in three of his last four away matches, with his only blank coming in a goalless draw at Manchester United in October.
Prediction
With just one goal conceded in their last eight matches in all competitions, Leicester really should come into this match believing that this is a winnable game despite having recently found themselves in the position that Newcastle had been accustomed to in recent years.
The fact that these Foxes didn’t even face a shot on target against them in their win at MK Dons last week after not playing for 38 days beforehand, is simply impressive and quite literally indicates that they shouldn’t be underestimated coming into this match.
Newcastle though had the advantage of facing fellow top-flight opposition in their Carabao Cup tie as they edged past Bournemouth, so should be ready to handle what should be really tricky opposition especially if Maddison is available for the hosts.
Either way, this match has the feels of a Boxing Day blockbuster based on form so I would be surprised if this somehow finish goalless, yet Newcastle do seem to waste chances as has been the case against Chelsea and Bournemouth in their last two games whereas Leicester have been more clinical.
Prediction: Leicester 3-2 Newcastle
Result: Leicester 0-3 Newcastle