Preview: Huddersfield Town vs Leicester City - prediction, team news, lineups

Both winners at the weekend, Huddersfield Town and Leicester City will clash in the EFL Cup on Wednesday.

The Terriers welcome the Foxes to Yorkshire for a first round tie following back-to-back league victories, and they will be keen to cause an upset.

Match preview

Huddersfield have started the new season in style under rookie coach Lee Grant, who has kicked off his managerial career with consecutive League One wins.

Town’s weekend victory at Reading gives them a 100% record so far, with goals from Jack Whatmough and substitute Cameron Ashia securing maximum points on Saturday.

After an opening-day success against Leyton Orient, Grant’s side have scored five times without conceding, and a promotion push could well be on the cards.

Huddersfield were dumped out of the EFL Cup in the second round last season, losing to League Two title contenders Walsall, and despite getting a tough first-round tie they will hope to make a deeper run this term.

However, their last meeting with Leicester was a 4-1 thumping in January 2024, and they have not defeated the Foxes since 2017.

Leicester have definitely got the better of Huddersfield in recent years, winning five of the clubs’ last six meetings while racking up 16 goals.

This time, the East Midlands side travel north on the back of a bright start to the summer, having won five games in pre-season before beating crisis-hit Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 on Saturday.

Turning the page on a year of misery, Leicester recovered after Wednesday took a first-half lead, as goals from Jannik Vestergaard and Wout Faes were enough to claim victory on the Championship’s opening matchday.

English champions and FA Cup winners within the last decade, the Foxes continued their yo-yo phase last term, suffering Premier League relegation after losing nine straight home games without scoring, but new boss Marti Cifuentes is intent on bouncing straight back.

Ahead of their first away fixture in the second tier - a visit to Preston North End - Leicester will start their latest EFL Cup campaign.

Having cruised past Tranmere Rovers and eliminated Huddersfield’s conquerors Walsall in rounds two and three last year, City were knocked out by Manchester United - as a Championship team, this time they must start in round one.

Huddersfield Town form (all competitions): W W

Leicester City form (all competitions): W

Team News

As Sean Roughan appeared as a substitute against Reading, despite being forced off inside the first half-hour of Huddersfield’s league opener, the hosts have few fitness concerns - only Marcus Harness remains a doubt.

Summer signings Marcus McGuane, Leo Castledine and Murray Wallace have not featured so far, but they may finally be given some minutes in midweek.

Meanwhile, Leicester have continued to trim their squad amid more financial strife: Wilfred Ndidi, former England defender Conor Coady and first-choice goalkeeper Mads Hermansen recently departed.

In the latter’s absence, Jakub Stolarczyk started on Saturday, though veteran stopper Asmir Begovic may be handed his club debut in the cup.

Full-backs Ricardo Pereira and Victor Kristiansen are both ruled out by injury, joining Bobby De Cordova-Reid and long-term absentee Harry Souttar on the sidelines.

Huddersfield Town possible starting lineup: Nicholls; Gooch, Wallace, Feeney, Roughan; Ledson, Kasumu; Casteldine, May, Roosken; Charles

Leicester City possible starting lineup: Begovic; Justin, Faes, Nelson, Thomas; Soumare, Winks; McAteer, El Khannouss, Monga; Daka