Leicester City vs Chelsea Prediction: Former Fox to go into the book

Enzo Maresca returns to Leicester City this weekend as Chelsea face the Foxes at the King Power Stadium in the Premier League on Saturday (12:30, TNT Sports 1). The visitors are looking to get back to winning ways after two consecutive draws in the top flight before the latest international break.

Leicester have failed to win in their last three league fixtures but they will look to get one over on the man who abandoned them in the summer. Read on for my Leicester City vs Chelsea prediction, including match odds and team news.

Leicester City vs Chelsea Odds

Leicester are 5/1 to win this match, which gives them a theoretical chance of 16.7%. Chelsea are valued at 1/2 to take the three points, giving them an implied probability of 66.7%. The draw can be backed at 16/5 (23.8%).

Both teams to score is on offer at 4/7 and over 2.5 goals is available at 1/2.

Football Odds

Team News

Leicester striker Patson Daka has been absent for all of the season so far, but there is hope that he might be close to rejoining the group - which would give boss Steve Cooper another attacking option.

The Foxes will hope that Bobby Decordova-Reid will be able to return to action after picking up an injury in the Carabao Cup defeat to Manchester United last month.

For Chelsea, Omari Kellyman remains sidelined with a hamstring problem, while we are unlikely to see the return of winger Jadon Sancho, who has been out of action for the past couple of weeks. If he remains absent, Pedro Neto will maintain his place out on the left flank, while Noni Maduke will occupy the right side of the attack.

Reece James has suffered yet another injury setback and he will miss out in Leicestershire.

Duo Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill will need to be assessed ahead of the game as both pulled out of the England squad earlier this month. If Colwill is out, we would likely see Tosin Adarabioyo fill in for him at centre-back.

Former Leicester defender Wesley Fofana should keep his place in the back line, alongside Malo Gusto and Marc Cucurella.

Joao Felix or Christopher Nkunku could step in for Palmer in the advanced midfield role. Nicolas Jackson will maintain his place up front while Moises Caicedo will work in the engine room once again, and he'll likely be partnered by Romeo Lavia, as Enzo Fernandez continues to be a substitute player.

Chelsea and both teams to score @ 13/8

Chelsea need to get back to winning ways so that they can close the gap on rivals Manchester City and Liverpool, who are second and first respectively in the league table. The Blues are third on 19 points, while Arsenal and Nottingham Forest also boast the same amount of points.

The Gunners have failed to win any of their last four, so Chelsea will be hoping to move clear of their London rivals in the title race. I think they have more than enough quality to beat the struggling Foxes, even if they are away from home.

They have plenty of attacking quality in Jackson, Palmer, Neto and Madueke, with the former two stars netting 13 goals between them in the top flight so far.

Chelsea will be hoping Palmer is fit to play because he is key to the way they play, and hugely boosts their chances of getting results. Even if he is unavailable, Maresca can call upon the likes of Joao Felix and Nkunku who themselves are very talented players who would relish the opportunity to face a side that has shipped 21 goals already this term.

The hosts will be low on confidence at the moment after two defeats and a draw in their last three outings before the international break. They were comfortably beaten 3-0 by Man United last time out, so I think Chelsea will be able to beat them, even with this game taking place at the King Power.

I have added both teams to score, though, because Chelsea have managed just two clean sheets this season, which interestingly both came away from home. BTTS has also been a winning selection in their last two trips on the road.

Meanwhile, Leicester are yet to blank when playing at home this season in the league, so I am expecting goals at both ends.

Wesley Fofana to receive a card @ 15/8

It's been two years since Fofana swapped Leicester for Chelsea in a £70m deal, but it is only now that we are seeing the Frenchman play consistently for the Blues - as a result of a plague of injuries.

He is still to show the quality expected of such a transfer, but Maresca has been putting his faith in him with consistent starts in 2024/25. He is the focus of my second selection as I believe we will see him receive a yellow card at his old stomping ground.

The defender has been regularly cautioned by officials in the Premier League this year, having already received six bookings in 10 appearances. He has already been punished with a one-game suspension for collecting five yellow cards before the amnesty that kicks in after the 19th game of the campaign.

All his bookings came in consecutive appearances, with the sixth coming in his first match available after the ban. You may think that he is being more careful now seeing as he's escaped a card in his last two outings, but this makes me more confident that he will pick one up here - especially when he could be frustrated by a frosty reception by some of the home crowd.

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