An in-form Leicester City side will look to fire another reminder of their top-six credentials on Sunday when they welcome Newcastle United to the King Power Stadium.
The Foxes go into the match sitting third in the Premier League table, just two points behind champions Manchester City, whereas Newcastle teeter one place above the relegation zone.
Match preview
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Leicester offered hints of a bright future under Brendan Rodgers during the second half of last season, but sitting third heading into the final game of September would have been beyond the most optimistic expectations of most fans, particularly after losing Harry Maguire during the summer.
The Foxes have begun the campaign in hugely impressive fashion, though, with only Maguire's new team Manchester United inflicting defeat on them in their eight outings across all competitions so far.
Leicester were not even in such a good position after six games of their title-winning season and, while a repeat of those heroics looks unlikely considering the strength of the top two, they will certainly go into the majority of their matches this season as favourites.
That may not be the case when Rodgers returns to Anfield next weekend, but few would be expecting them to drop points against Newcastle having come from behind to beat Tottenham Hotspur in their most recent league game.
Leicester then continued their winning ways with a 4-0 EFL Cup thrashing of Luton Town on Tuesday night, having beaten Newcastle on penalties in the previous round, keeping their first clean sheet since the opening day of the season in the process.
A Premier League shutout will be the next target, having conceded exactly one goal in all of their matches since the opening day, and they will fancy their chances of getting one at home to the league's joint-lowest scorers.
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Steve Bruce's side have managed just four goals from their six outings - all coming from different players - and drew an uninspiring blank last time out as they were held to a forgettable draw by Brighton & Hove Albion.
Like Leicester, the Magpies can also point to a win over Tottenham as a high point of their season - away from home as well - but that remains their only victory in seven outings across all competitions so far this term and only one point separates them from the relegation zone heading into the weekend.
The victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium should give them belief that they can pull off another upset at the King Power, though, and Newcastle's form on the road has actually been better than their home form recently with three away wins from their last six such league outings - as many as they had managed in their previous 24 before that.
Newcastle have also won on their last two visits to the King Power Stadium and another triumph on Sunday would see them become the first visiting team to win three in a row at the stadium in the Premier League.
Indeed, the North-East outfit are the only visiting team to win at the ground since Rodgers took charge of Leicester, and Bruce would no doubt even take a repeat of the 1-1 draw which took these two sides to penalties in the EFL Cup second round last month.
Leicester form: WWWLWW
Newcastle form: LWLDLD
Team News
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Leicester are sweating over the fitness of James Maddison, who suffered a knock to his ankle during last weekend's victory over Spurs - a game in which he scored the winner.
Should the playmaker fail to recover in time then Hamza Choudhury could earn a recall to the starting lineup, having been heavily criticised by Bruce for a challenge on Matt Ritchie in the EFL Cup meeting which has ruled the Newcastle man out until October at the earliest.
Jamie Vardy will lead the line again as he looks to add to his eight goals and two assists from his last nine Premier League home games, while Ayoze Perez could face his former club following his £30m summer move from St James' Park.
Daniel Amartey and Matty James are Leicester's only other injury absentees, whereas Newcastle must contend with a fuller treatment room.
Ritchie has made much quicker progress than expected from his Choudhury-inflicted ankle injury but this match will come too soon for him, while Jonjo Shelvey is also out with a hamstring strain.
Dwight Gayle and Florian Lejeune are long-term absentees, but Bruce will be boosted by the returns of DeAndre Yedlin, Sean Longstaff and Allan Saint-Maximin.
Returning hero Andy Carroll is also available to feature once again, although he is unlikely to pip Joelinton to a starting berth.
Reports have suggested that Miguel Almiron could be dropped for this match, with Saint-Maximin in line for just his second Premier League start should that be the case.
Leicester possible starting lineup:
Schmeichel; Pereira, Evans, Soyuncu, Chilwell; Perez, Tielemans, Ndidi, Choudhury, Barnes; Vardy
Newcastle possible starting lineup:
Dubravka; Manquillo, Schar, Lascelles, Dummett, Willems; Saint-Maximin, Hayden, Longstaff, Atsu; Joelinton
We say: Leicester 2-0 Newcastle
Newcastle have pulled off one major away shock already this season and so cannot be completely discounted for this match, but everything points to a fairly routine home Leicester win on Sunday, with a first league clean sheet since the opening day to boot.
Barney Corkhill
