Preview: Leeds United vs. Leicester City - prediction, team news, lineups

The Foxes travel to Elland Road holding a nine-point lead over Leeds at the top of the standings, yet their defeat on Saturday has thrown the door open to the chasing pack.

Match preview

For much of this season, the Championship title race has felt done and dusted, Leicester relentlessly stringing win after win together to put themselves in a position where they are seemingly coasting to promotion back to the Premier League.

However, eight successive league wins for Leeds is threatening to upset the odds, the Yorkshire giants now within nine points of the Foxes.

Daniel Farke's side will be frustrated that they only sit second on goal difference, a consequence of Ipswich Town's recent revival, but Leeds have been relentless since the turn of the year.

Just one goal has been conceded in the aforementioned eight games and Leeds have now gone 538 minutes, plus selections of added-on time, since they last shipped a goal in the second tier.

Having beaten Swansea City and Plymouth Arygle on their travels, Leeds now return to Elland Road where they are unbeaten in 16 league games, winning on 12 of those occasions.

Farke's side possess the best home record in the Championship, yet they are squaring off against opponents who have collected the most points away from their East Midlands base.

Leicester have impressively won 12 of their 16 away fixtures in the league, conceding just 15 times in the process, and Enzo Maresca's side have netted seven times in victories over Stoke City and Watford most recently.

Nevertheless, suffering a surprise 2-1 defeat at home to mid-table Middlesbrough has threatened to make the title race interesting, Leicester at risk of being within eight points of fourth spot by the end of the weekend if they lost to Leeds.

If anything, Leicester's focus should be sharpened, yet this is the first time for many months that doubt has entered the equation having been so dominant since the early weeks of the campaign.

Although just five defeats have been registered in 33 league games during 2023-24, Leicester lost to Leeds in the reverse fixture at the King Power Stadium by a 1-0 scoreline.

Leeds United Championship form:

W

W

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Leeds United form (all competitions):

D

W

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Leicester City Championship form:

D

W

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L

Leicester City form (all competitions):

W

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W

L

Team News

None of Leeds' five injured players will return for this contest, meaning that Patrick Bamford will remain unavailable for selection.

There is the possibility that an unchanged starting lineup will be selected, with Daniel James likely to remain among the replacements courtesy of Wilfried Gnonto impressing in recent matches.

Leicester should be boosted by the return of Kelechi Iheanacho, who has been absent for well over a month through representing Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations.

The forward may take a place on the substitutes' bench, but Maresca has a decision to make over his other attacking options with Tom Cannon and Jamie Vardy both pushing for opportunities.

Kasey McAteer may also come back into the team, but Wilfried Ndidi misses out through injury and young defender Ben Nelson remains an injury doubt with a knock.

Leeds United possible starting lineup:

Meslier; Gray, Rodon, Ampadu, Firpo; Gruev, Kamara; Gnonto, Rutter, Summerville; Piroe

Leicester City possible starting lineup:

Hermansen; Pereira, Faes, Vestergaard, Justin; Winks, Dewsbury-Hall; Fatawu, Praet, McAteer; Daka

We say: Leeds United 2-1 Leicester City

Like in the reverse fixture, any result feels possible, particularly an away one with the pressure off to a certain extent. Nevertheless, Leeds look unbeatable at present, and we are backing the Yorkshire giants to run out victors in a high-quality tussle at Elland Road.

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