Though his tenure ended with Leicester winning the Championship, his style didn’t always win over fans during rough patches. The reception Maresca gets from the Leicester faithful will likely set the tone for the day. Meanwhile, Maresca has been thriving at Chelsea, who find themselves surprisingly in the Premier League's top three, edging out Arsenal, Nottingham Forest, and Brighton on goal difference.
Chelsea’s recent form has been mixed, with just one win in their last four league games. However, their winless outings were against tough opponents: Manchester United, Liverpool, and Arsenal. The Blues managed to hold Arsenal to a 1-1 draw in their last match, thanks to Pedro Neto’s equalizer.
Despite these challenges, Chelsea has been prolific away from home, scoring in eight consecutive Premier League road games since a heavy loss at Arsenal in April. Their 12 away goals this season are unmatched in the league.
Historically, Chelsea tends to stumble after international breaks, winning only one of their last seven such matches. Leicester, on the other hand, are battling to maintain their Premier League status under Steve Cooper, Maresca’s successor.
While Cooper has kept them above the relegation zone, recent results have been underwhelming. The Foxes haven’t won since their dramatic victory over Southampton in October, enduring defeats to Manchester United (twice), Nottingham Forest, and a near-miss against Ipswich Town.
Still, Leicester sit 15th in the table, three points clear of the relegation zone, and have avoided consecutive home losses this season. They’ve also scored in all six home matches across competitions, though only once did they net more than a single goal—a 4-0 thrashing of Tranmere Rovers in the EFL Cup.
Leicester hasn’t beaten Chelsea since Youri Tielemans’ iconic goal in the 2021 FA Cup final. The Blues have dominated this fixture since, winning five and drawing one of their last six meetings, including a 4-2 victory in last season’s FA Cup quarter-finals.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Chelsea will be without Reece James for their trip to Leicester after the defender suffered yet another hamstring issue, confirmed by manager Enzo Maresca. James, a regular visitor to the Stamford Bridge treatment room, is the only player currently sidelined, according to Maresca.There’s better news elsewhere in the squad, though. Romeo Lavia appears ready to feature after a minor hamstring scare, and Cole Palmer, Jadon Sancho, and Levi Colwill were all spotted back in training. Wesley Fofana and Malo Gusto, who withdrew from international duty with France, are also expected to be available. Lavia’s fitness could prove crucial, given the heavy workload of Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez during the South American qualifiers.
Leicester, however, are dealing with more serious injury woes. Ghanaian forward Abdul Fatawu suffered an ACL injury during international duty and is out for the season. The Foxes are also monitoring Jamie Vardy (back), Bobby Decordova-Reid (Achilles), and Jordan Ayew (knee), though Patson Daka is likely to return after recovering from an ankle problem.
Elsewhere, Ricardo Pereira (thigh) and Jakub Stolarczyk (ankle) remain unavailable for Leicester. Additionally, Facundo Buonanotte will miss the game due to suspension after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season against Manchester United.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Leicester City possible starting lineup:Hermansen; Justin, Faes, Vestergaard, Kristiansen; Winks, Ndidi, Soumare; El Khannouss, Edouard, Mavididi
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Lavia; Madueke, Palmer, Neto; Jackson
EXPERT PREDICTION
Leicester 1-2 Chelsea
Leicester’s defensive frailties only heighten the risk of a tough afternoon for the Foxes. It’s hard to see past a convincing Chelsea victory in this one.
