Newcastle United travel to resurgent Leicester City on Saturday knowing that a seventh straight defeat could see them dragged back into the relegation battle.
Meanwhile, 17th-placed Leicester will look to blur out their 3-1 defeat to Chelsea and rediscover the fine form that has helped breathe new life into their survival bid recently.
Leicester
© Getty Images
This time last month you could have been forgiven for writing Leicester's Premier League eulogy, for Nigel Pearson's side sat rock bottom of the table and seven points adrift of safety. Fast forward four weeks and the table reads a little differently for the Foxes.
It has been a remarkable turnaround by City, who have won four of their last five games to sit one point and one place above the relegation zone. It is the type of form that their relegation rivals can only dream about at this stage of the season, but it could all be for nothing if they allow their latest setback to throw them off course once more.
The defeat in question came against Premier League champions-elect Chelsea on Wednesday - a result that ended the hosts' four-game winning streak - but Pearson will be desperate to see his charges resume their great escape with victory at home to struggling Newcastle on Saturday.
There have been one or two signs that the pressure is getting to Pearson, though. An ugly verbal exchange in Wednesday's post-match press conference saw him brand a journalist an "ostrich" after the reporter asked him to elaborate when Pearson suggested that his side had to deal with a large "amount of criticism and negativity" this season.
Such a high-profile and unprovoked rant can only breed negatives, bringing an extra spotlight on the Foxes at a time in the season when they would rather go about their business quietly.
After accusing the journalist of sticking his head in the sand, Pearson then drew a line in it with an apology on Thursday, but it remains to be seen if the rant will have an adverse affect on City's survival hopes.
Dropped points against Newcastle, arguably the most out-of-form team in the division, and there may be cause to start afresh with that eulogy.
Recent form: LWWWWL
Newcastle
© Getty Images
Newcastle United fans will be delighted that there are only four games left in a trying season under stand-in manager John Carver. The Magpies' saving grace may just be that there are not enough games left to drop points in.
122 days after replacing Alan Pardew and this is not where Carver would have dreamed to be after waiting so long to sit in the hot seat at St James' Park. In truth, United have gradually declined under the 50-year-old to the point where, without Pardew's good work in the first half of the campaign, they may already be relegated.
They travel to the King Power 14th in the standings, five points above the drop zone and without a win in six league outings. Their 3-2 defeat at home to Swansea City last weekend gave rise to increasing fears that relegation is on the cards, with a number of disgruntled fans giving Carver both barrels in a heated exchange during the match.
Having won just once from their last 11 games, vitriol from the terraces is inevitable, but what he was subjected to on Saturday may look pale in comparison to what comes next if they lose at Leicester.
With four games left, there is still plenty of time for Newcastle to plummet further toward relegation. They could be as little as two points above the drop zone with three to play if they lose and other results go against them this weekend.
It is arguably their most important game of the season, but it remains to be seen if anybody at Newcastle - Carver included - believes that they can leave the King Power with a vital three points.
Recent form: LLLLLL
Team News
© Getty Images
Robert Huth and Andy King were both casualties in Wednesday's defeat to Chelsea, but the latter could return on Saturday while a decision is yet to be made over Huth.
Pearson confirmed that David Nugent, who has missed the last two games with a calf injury, remains sidelined as Jamie Vardy and Leonardo Ulloa look poised to spearhead the attack.
Meanwhile, Carver revealed that fit-again Siem de Jong, who netted in their defeat to Swansea, is still not fit to start but right-back Daryl Janmaat is back after coming off on Saturday with illness.
Papiss Cisse has one more game to serve on his seven-match ban but Moussa Sissoko is back after his suspension.
Paul Dummett is also back in training for Newcastle following a knee injury.
Leicester possible starting lineup:
Schmeichel; De Laet, Wasilewski, Morgan, Kochesky; Albrighton, Cambiasso, James, Drinkwater; Ulloa, Vardy
Newcastle possible starting lineup:
Krul; Janmaat, Coloccini, Williamson, Anita; Colback, Sissoko, Gutierrez, Cabella; Perez, Riviere
Head To Head
United have lost just one of their last 10 meetings with Leicester - a 1-0 third-round FA Cup defeat back in January. Newcastle have won five of that sequence, and also came out on top in the reverse fixture this season when Gabriel Obertan scored the only goal to clinch their first win of the Premier League campaign.
We say: Leicester 3-1 Newcastle
With one victory in 11, it is safe to say that Newcastle have been on a downward spiral of results since early February, and with Leicester recently displaying the type of resilience needed to win their respective relegation battle, a home win looks very much on the cards for Pearson's side.
Shane Callaghan
