Leicester City and Everton meet at the King Power Stadium for a Monday night fixture in the Premier League this week. With the two sides in the bottom three, this fixture perfectly fits the description of a relegation six-pointer.
Team News:
Kelechi Iheanacho tore an adductor muscle while setting up the chance for Leicester’s equaliser at Leeds on Tuesday, and Smith believes he could miss the rest of the season.
That could open the door for Vardy to play from the start after his vital goal, with Patson Daka also an option to come in. Defensive duo Jonny Evans and Ricardo Pereira are both closing in on returns to the side, but this fixture may come too soon for both of them.
Ryan Bertrand recently featured for the club’s Under-21s so could feature in the matchday squad, but Jannik Vestergaard and James Justin are out. Everton will hope to have club captain Seamus Coleman available after a thigh injury has kept him out of the last three games.
Mason Holgate and Ben Godfrey have both deputised in the meantime and had a torrid time at right-back, with the former sent off against Crystal Palace and the latter at fault for more than one of Newcastle’s goals on Thursday.
Holgate is available after serving his one-match suspension against Newcastle, but he is unlikely to feature.
Should Coleman not make it, Nathan Patterson may be given a chance having not started since a 4-1 defeat to Brighton in January.
James Garner could come back into the side in midfield after performing well against Crystal Palace last week, and a woeful display from the side that started against Newcastle.
Leicester City possible starting lineup:
Iversen; Castagne, Faes, Soyuncu, Kristiansen; Tielemans, Soumare, Maddison; Tete, Daka, Barnes
Everton possible starting lineup:
Pickford; Coleman, Keane, Tarkowski, Mykolenko; Iwobi, Gueye, Onana, Doucoure, McNeil; Calvert-Lewin
Prediction: Leicester City 2-0 Everton
Everton’s away woes are well-documented, and time is running out on their top-flight future if they get anything but a win here.
That looks unlikely though, given the lack of goals in the squad, while Leicester have an abundance of talent going forward who can be game changers.
