A potentially-pivotal clash between two relegation-threatened Premier League teams takes place at the King Power Stadium on Saturday, as managerless Leicester City play host to Bournemouth.
While the Foxes are seeking to avoid a fourth successive home defeat, the Cherries have lost eight of their last nine league matches on the road.
Match preview
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Leicester's relegation fears worsened on Tuesday night, as they were condemned to a 2-1 home defeat against Aston Villa in their first game since the departure of Brendan Rodgers.
Harvey Barnes cancelled out an opener from Ollie Watkins before the sending off of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall on the 70-minute mark tipped the scales in Villa's favour, and a mistake from Wilfred Ndidi allowed Bertrand Traore to curl an 87th-minute winner into the top corner.
Seven years after winning a historic Premier League title, Leicester are in danger of demotion to the Championship as a miserable run of six defeats and one draw in their last seven games has seen them slip to 19th in the table, two points adrift of safety with nine matches remaining.
The Foxes are understood to have put together a four-man managerial shortlist as they search for a successor to Rodgers, but in the meantime, caretaker boss Adam Sadler will remain in charge and is tasked with ending the club's three-game losing run on home soil.
Leicester have also lost their last three meetings with promoted teams, including a 2-1 defeat at Bournemouth in October, but they are unbeaten in each of their previous five Premier League home encounters with the Cherries which bodes well ahead of Saturday's contest.
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Bournemouth have experienced an inconsistent run of form in recent weeks, having won three and lost four of their last seven Premier League games, and they still find themselves in danger of an immediate return to the second tier.
The Cherries were unable to follow up their 2-1 comeback victory over Fulham last weekend with another three points on home soil, as they were on the wrong end of a 2-0 scoreline against Brighton & Hove Albion on Tuesday night.
With nine Premier League games remaining, Gary O'Neil's men are embroiled in a nine-team relegation dogfight and currently sit 18th in the table, albeit level on 27 points with West Ham United, Everton and Nottingham Forest in the three places above them.
Bournemouth's poor away form has been a key factor behind their struggles this season as they have only picked up eight points from 14 matches on the road, half as many as they have accumulated at the Vitality Stadium.
However, the Cherries will fancy their chances of claiming a positive result on Saturday having won their last two meetings with Leicester by an aggregate score of 6-2, and a victory at the King Power Stadium would not only boost their survival hopes, but also see them complete the league double over the Foxes for the first time since the 1988-89 campaign.
Team News
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Leicester will be without the suspended Dewsbury-Hall, while James Justin, Ryan Bertrand (both knee) and Youri Tielemans (ankle) all remain sidelined with injuries, although the latter is set to return to training next week.
Jonny Evans has taken part in team training this week after recovering from a thigh injury, but it remains to be seen whether the Northern Irishman will be fit to start, with Wout Faes and Harry Souttar expected to retain their centre-back partnership against Bournemouth.
In the absence of Dewsbury-Hall, either Boubakary Soumare or Tete could be recalled to the first XI, and the latter's inclusion could see key playmaker James Maddison move into the number 10 role behind either Jamie Vardy or Patson Daka up front.
As for Bournemouth, Junior Stanislas and Ryan Fredericks are both unavailable as they continue to recover from injury, while Marcos Senesi was withdrawn in the final five minutes of the defeat to Brighton with a hamstring problem and is doubtful for Saturday's contest.
January signing Illya Zabarnyi replaced Senesi to make his long-awaited debut for the Cherries after recovering from injury, and the Ukrainian could be handed his first start for the club at centre-back alongside Jack Stephens.
Dominic Solanke and Philip Billing, who have either scored or assisted 10 of Bournemouth's 12 Premier League away goals this season, are expected to continue in the first XI, while Ryan Christie, who scored along with Billing in the 2-1 win against Leicester six months ago, will face competition from Marcus Tavernier to keep his place on the right flank.
Leicester City possible starting lineup:
Iversen; Castagne, Souttar, Faes, Kristiansen; Mendy, Ndidi; Tete, Maddison, Barnes; Daka
Bournemouth possible starting lineup:
Neto; Smith, Stephens, Zabarnyi, Kelly; Tavernier, Lerma, Billing, Ouattara; Traore; Solanke
We say: Leicester City 1-2 Bournemouth
Considering four of the last five meetings between Leicester and Bournemouth have seen at least three goals scored, an entertaining end-to-end contest could be on the cards at the King Power Stadium.
Neither team will need reminding of how important securing maximum points on Saturday could be in their quest to avoid the drop, and while there is little to separate these two struggling sides, we feel that the Cherries may do just enough to come out on top.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Oliver Thomas
