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Match Preview for Chelsea v Leicester
Chelsea will be looking to follow up their Europa Conference League win on Thursday with another victory against Leicester in the Premier League.
Enzo Maresca has already beaten his former club once this season, picking up a 2-1 win at the King Power Stadium back in November.
But the Foxes will now travel to Stamford Bridge, desperate for points as they battle relegation under Ruud van Nistelrooy.
The Blues have picked up just three victories in 11 games in the Premier League, a poor run that saw their brief title challenge ended before it ever really began.
Now, the West London club face a battle to hang on to a place in the top four, and the team will take positives knowing their recent three wins have all come at home.
Leicester are only five points away from safety, but could become the first Foxes team in 95 years to lose five games in a row by a two or more goal margin.
Securing European football remains a priority for the home side, and with all teams barring Manchester City still in their respective competitions, it looks likely that fifth place will earn a Champions League place next term.
However, there is only six points separating third and 10th in the table, meaning the Blues cannot afford to slip up here.
Back at base. 👊 pic.twitter.com/KM321ayLtx
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) March 7, 2025
Team news for Chelsea v Leicester
Chelsea will be without Noni Madueke, Nicolas Jackson, and Marc Guiu for the foreseeable future, as all three are set to remain sidelined until after the international break.
However, there is good news for the Blues as Romeo Lavia has resumed training and is expected to be available within the next week.
One of the notable tactical shifts in Chelsea’s recent fixture saw Reece James deployed in an unfamiliar midfield role, a move that proved successful as he opened the scoring in Copenhagen.
With Malo Gusto expected to regain fitness, Maresca may continue to experiment with James in that position in the coming games.
On the Leicester side, right-back Woyo Coulibaly has successfully passed a fitness test and will be available for selection.
However, Ricardo Pereira and Abdul Fatawu remain the only players unavailable due to injury.
Supporters have been calling for Stephy Mavididi to be given more game time, and with six consecutive appearances coming off the bench, this match could finally present him with an opportunity to start.
Expected line-ups for Chelsea v Leicester
Chelsea: Jorgensen; Gusto, Tosin, Colwill, Cucurella; James, Enzo, Caicedo; Neto, Palmer, Nkunku
Leicester: Hermansen; Justin, Faes, Vestergaard, Kristiansen; Ndidi, Soumare; Buonanotte, El Khannouss, Mavididi; Vardy
How to watch Chelsea v Leicester: TV channel, online stream
Chelsea will host Bournemouth for a 14:00 kick-off on Sunday, but it is unavailable to watch live in the UK, with Tottenham vs Bournemouth being shown on Sky Sports at the same time.
How Ruud is approaching our Stamford Bridge challenge 🙌
— Leicester City (@LCFC) March 7, 2025
