MY ACCOUNT
– Brighton have won four of their last five matches in all competitions
– Five of Leicester’s nine home league games this term have ended in defeat
– Recommended bet: Brighton to win
Brighton continue their push for a European berth at the King Power Stadium on Saturday as injury-hit hosts Leicester look to halt a four-game losing run in the Premier League.
Another defeat could see Brendan Rodgers’ side, who won four out of five just before the break for the World Cup, slip back into the relegation zone.
Concerns around Jamie Vardy, who has not scored since October, and James Maddison, whose return date seems to get no closer, are being compounded by a lack of incoming signings amid a worsening injury crisis.
The Seagulls, by contrast, are riding the crest of a wave and have not seemed to miss AWOL attacker Leandro Trossard, who helped inspire Albion to a 5-2 win over the Foxes when they last met in September.
Team news
Leicester could complete just their second purchase in the last 18 months in time for Danish left-back Victor Kristiansen to feature at the expense of Luke Thomas, who struggled against Nottingham Forest last Saturday.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall may restart training this week, but with the midfielder having revealed his glute injury was actually a grade two tear, he is not likely to be back until the end of the month.
Ayoze Perez could return to the reckoning after only narrowly failing to prove his fitness in time for the Forest game, but Maddison (knee), Ryan Bertrand (knee), Ricardo Pereira (calf), Boubakary Soumare (thigh), James Justin (calf) and Jonny Evans (calf) will definitely be out.
Dennis Praet made his comeback from injury as a substitute last weekend and should now be available to start on the right wing in place of Marc Albrighton.
Brighton look likely to be unchanged after turning in one of their best displays of the season against Liverpool last Saturday.
However, Roberto De Zerbi may wish to recall Joel Veltman at right-back and push Pascal Gross back into his natural position of midfield, alongside Moises Caicedo in a double pivot.
That could see Alexis Mac Allister moved further forward and Adam Lallana drop out with Evan Ferguson holding on to the striker’s spot, despite the fine finish produced by Danny Welbeck as a substitute last weekend.
Trossard, who has not appeared since the hour-mark against Arsenal on New Year’s Eve, is expected to be unavailable again as talks continue over a switch to the Gunners.
The stats
Wout Faes’ two own goals outscore his teammates over the Foxes’ current four-match losing streak, as only Dewsbury-Hall has put the ball in the back of the net.
Leicester’s failure to score against Forest meant that leaders Arsenal are now the Premier League’s only team to score in all of their away games so far this season.
Against Liverpool, Solly March scored more than one goal in a game for the first time in his senior career.
Prediction
The four-point cushion to the drop zone that Leicester enjoyed during the World Cup has been halved since then and it will take more than one signing to stop their freefall.
Last week’s defeat at the City Ground to a team below them in the table should have been a wake-up call to the board to bring in reinforcements quickly.
Brighton, by contrast, always seem to have ready-made replacements waiting to step in for the players that are sold on to bigger clubs.
The Seagulls still have plenty of attacking options for De Zerbi to work with and have performed brilliantly without Trossard in recent games.
Their midfield was the key to victory over Liverpool last week and that engine room should power Albion to another three points at the King Power Stadium with Brighton available to back at 11/10 for the away win with LiveScore Bet.
