Leicester City will continue their preparations for the start of the 2021-22 Premier League campaign with a pre-season clash against Queens Park Rangers on Saturday afternoon.
The Foxes have lost their two friendlies with Burton Albion and Wycombe Wanderers this summer, while QPR have recorded three victories against Portsmouth, Manchester United and Cambridge United.
Match preview
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Saturday's clash with Leicester represents QPR's final pre-season friendly, with the R's beginning their 2021-22 Championship campaign at home to Millwall on August 7.
Results are rarely important in pre-season, but confidence will be high in the QPR camp, as the second-tier outfit have recorded three straight victories over Portsmouth, Man United and Cambridge.
Mark Warburton's side were last in action on Tuesday night, recording a 2-1 victory over Cambridge courtesy of first-half goals from Ilias Chair and Lyndon Dykes. QPR were also impressive against Man United, putting four goals past the Premier League club on home soil.
QPR, as mentioned, will open their Championship campaign against Millwall on August 7 before taking on Leyton Orient in the League Cup on August 11.
The second-tier side have been busy this summer in terms of incomings, with Andre Dozzell, Stefan Johansen, Charlie Austin and Jordan Archer among those to arrive at Loftus Road.
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Leicester, meanwhile, have only played twice during pre-season, losing on penalties to Burton following a goalless draw on July 24 before suffering a 1-0 defeat at Wycombe on Wednesday night.
Brendan Rodgers will not be overly concerned with the results, but the loss to Wycombe was disappointing considering that the likes of Ricardo Pereira, Wesley Fofana, Caglar Soyuncu, Patson Daka, Jamie Vardy and Kelechi Iheanacho all featured for the Foxes.
The FA Cup holders will take on QPR and Villarreal in their final two friendlies of the summer before facing Premier League champions Manchester City in the Community Shield on August 7.
Leicester will then open their 2021-22 Premier League campaign at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers on August 14, and it will be fascinating to see whether the Foxes are capable of challenging for the top four next term.
The club are still working on signings for the coming season, but they have already managed to bring Daka, Boubakary Soumare and Ryan Bertrand to the King Power Stadium in the current window.
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Team News
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Austin and Dykes started as the front two against Cambridge on Tuesday and that could again be the case this weekend, with Warburton now focusing on the new campaign.
It would not be a surprise to see a back five take to the field for QPR, with Albert Adomah and Sam McCallum both starting, while Chair and George Thomas are likely to feature in midfield.
There should again be opportunities for some younger players, but Warburton will almost treat this as a league fixture, as the new campaign is now just around the corner.
As for Leicester, Rodgers will again make full use of his squad, and there is a chance that Vardy, Daka and Iheanacho could all feature in the final third of the field.
James Maddison was bright off the bench against Wycombe, and the attacker, who is currently being linked with Arsenal, should now come into the starting XI for the Foxes.
There should also again be starts for Pereira, Fofana and Soyuncu at the back, with Luke Thomas potentially given the nod at left-back, and Wilfred Ndidi and Soumare starting in midfield.
Queens Park Rangers possible starting lineup:
Archer; McCallum, Dunne, Dickie, Kakay, Adomah; Ball, Chair, Thomas; Austin, Dykes
Leicester City possible starting lineup:
Iversen; Pereira, Fofana, Soyuncu, Thomas; Soumare, Ndidi, Maddison; Iheanacho, Vardy, Daka
We say: Queens Park Rangers 1-1 Leicester City
This is a key match for both sides in terms of preparation for the new season, and it should be a competitive affair. QPR look in good shape ahead of the 2021-22 Championship campaign, and we are expecting the second-tier outfit to hold the Foxes to a draw on Saturday afternoon.
Matt Law
