Last Word on Football brings you the latest team news and predicted lineups ahead of the Leicester vs Hull EFL Championship showdown. The Foxes come into this fixture staring down the barrel of back-to-back relegations. Leicester once again couldn’t step up to the occasion, as the players seemed to show more fight off the pitch than on it. Meanwhile, Hull are still fighting for the play-offs; a recent drop in form has brought others into play. Both sides need a win, and back in August, who would have thought it would be at different ends of the table?
Leicester Team News
Following the defeat away at Fratton Park, Gary Rowett reflected on the situation his side finds itself in. “We’re running out of time,” the Manager admitted. “It’s the moments in the game that we don’t seem to be able to see out for 90 minutes. When you come to this place, there’ll be moments when they put you under pressure, and you’ve got to deal with it. It’s as simple as that.” The loss saw City’s impending doom become even more of a reality. They are now eight points off safety and winless in their last six games.
In terms of injury concerns, Jordan James has been struggling to return to full fitness after picking up an issue with his heel during the international break. The Welshman, who was recently named the Championship’s Young Player of the Season, has only been afforded minutes off the bench; thus coinciding with the Foxes’ goal drought. Aaron Ramsey has also returned to training, but with a lack of match fitness, it’s hard to imagine he will play many minutes. Outside of this, centre-backs Ben Nelson and Caleb Okoli are likely to be out for the rest of the season.
Hull Team News
Coming into the game, the Tigers’ form is also far from ideal. They have managed just one win in their last seven games, and that was at the expense of already relegated Sheffield Wednesday. Despite this, Hull remain inside the play-offs and two points clear of Wrexham in seventh. Manager Sergej Jakirović reflected on the weekend’s defeat against Birmingham by admitting, “That was not our best performance.”
Injuries are likely to be one of the factors plaguing their recent performances. Cody Drameh is set to miss the rest of the season with a quad injury, while Toby Collyer has also been ruled out. “Toby has finished this season,” Jakirović revealed. “He twisted his ankle in the training session. This is so unlucky. I couldn’t believe what was happening.” Furthermore, the Hull boss noted the other players on the sidelines last time out. He said: “We don’t have (Regan) Slater. ‘Lunny’ (John Lundstram) had a red card. We have Eliot, who is coming back from injury. A lot of problems.” Whilst some figures are returning, they will be hoping that the quality available will be too much for the fractured Foxes.
Leicester Predicted Lineup
Begovic
Lascelles
Vestergaard
Thomas
James
Fatawu
Reid
Mavididi
Daka
Hull Predicted Lineup
Pandur
Coyle
Ajayi
Egan
McNair
Hadziahmetovic
Crooks
Belloumi
Geldhart
Millar
McBurnie