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

Championship leaders Leicester City welcome promotion rivals Ipswich Town to the King Power Stadium on Monday night in a huge encounter at the top.

Leicester suffered a setback last weekend, while Ipswich ended a lengthy winless run to close the gap on the Foxes.

Match preview

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Despite seemingly cruising towards promotion, Leicester suffered a minor blip in their derby with Coventry City last Saturday.

Abdul Fatawu's red card was ultimately costly, as Enzo Maresca's side were beaten 3-1 despite leading at half time.

Emotions also boiled over for their Italian manager, as he picked up a caution which means he will not be present on the sideline for this encounter.

That ended an 11-game unbeaten streak for the Foxes, in which they won nine games, but it still keeps them a healthy seven points clear at the top of the Championship.

Form at home in particular is a major reason why they remain huge favourites to win the title this season, as they have won 12 of their last 14 games at the King Power.

Facing sides battling for promotion with them have not proven overly fruitful this season though, as eight of the 16 points Leicester have dropped in the league have come against sides in the top six.

Two of those came by drawing with Ipswich in the reverse fixture earlier in the campaign, and a repeat of that would see them fail to beat Ipswich in a league season for the first time since 2009-10.

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Ipswich will be thankful that they come into this fixture showing signs of improvement after an awful end to 2023.

The Tractor Boys lost a lot of ground in the automatic promotion race by going winless in five - drawing four and being thrashed 4-0 at Leeds United.

After Southampton's win away at Swansea City on Saturday lunchtime though, it does mean that Ipswich will enter this fixture outside the top two.

With an inferior goal difference, Ipswich know they need at least a point if they are to end the weekend back in the automatic positions, and last week's win over Sunderland may help raise spirits.

Realistically though, this represents their best chance of potentially hunting down Leicester, who sit seven points clear at the top and are still showing the best form in the division.

Team News

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Fatawu's red card at Coventry last week will see him suspended for this fixture, adding to the list of attacking absentees at Leicester.

With Patson Daka and Kelechi Iheanacho both away at the Africa Cup of Nations, Jamie Vardy has also been suffering with a knock and is doubtful.

Harry Souttar is also away on international duty at the Asian Cup with Australia, while Wilfred Ndidi's injury keeps him sidelined.

Chelsea recalled Italian midfielder Cesare Casadei from his loan spell this week, but Leicester are hopeful of replacing him with fellow countryman Stefano Sensi from Inter Milan.

Ipswich are set to be without their regular midfield duo of Sam Morsy and Massimo Luongo for this one, with the Egyptian suspended after picking up 10 yellow cards, and the Aussie injured.

Luongo's compatriot Cameron Burgess is away with Australia at the Asian Cup, while George Hirst, Janoi Donacien and Lee Evans are all on the treatment table.

Blackburn Rovers loanee Lewis Travis made his first start for the club last weekend in the win over Sunderland given the absences of Morsy and Luongo, while Jeremy Sarmiento has also arrived from Brighton & Hove Albion but is yet to make his full debut, appearing twice off the bench so far.

Leicester City possible starting lineup: Hermansen; Ricardo Pereira, Faes, Vestergaard, Justin; Winks, Dewsbury-Hall, Akgun; McAteer, Cannon, Mavididi

Ipswich Town possible starting lineup: Hladky; Clarke, Woolfenden, Edmundson, Davis; Travis, Taylor, Chaplin; Burns, Jackson, Broadhead

We say: Leicester City 2-1 Ipswich Town

Leicester have been imperious on home soil and look set to return to winning ways after losing late with a man light last weekend.

Despite Ipswich's return to form which has seen them win back-to-back games, this is unquestionably the toughest fixture in the EFL at present, and Kieran McKenna's side will need a huge performance to take anything from the King Power.

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