Squawka
·21 November 2024
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Yahoo sportsSquawka
·21 November 2024
The Premier League returns after the latest international break and Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off will send Enzo Maresca back to his old stomping ground as high-flying Chelsea visit struggling Leicester City.
Leicester (4-3-3): Hermansen; Justin, Faes, Vestergaard, Kristiansen; Soumare, Ndidi, Winks; Vardy, Ayew, Fatawu
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Madueke, Palmer, Neto; Jackson
The King Power Stadium tussle is set for a 12:30pm start on Saturday, November 23 and will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 1 as the hosts face the manager who guided them back into the big time.
Maresca spent just 12 months as Leicester City boss, but what a year it was. His Foxes side bulldozed their way through the first half of the Championship season before a major wobble in the spring.
For a brief time, with Ipswich and Leeds also faltering, it became the title race no side seemingly wanted to win, but eventually, Leicester regained some of that early-season form and finished the job as Championship winners.
Maresca, a former assistant to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, was lured away by Chelsea in the summer after the Stamford Bridge club parted company with Mauricio Pochettino.
For Maresca, the chance to manage a club like Chelsea, with lofty ambitions and a squad brimming with talent, was too good to turn down.
He has made a good start at Chelsea, who head into Matchday 12 of the league season behind only leaders Liverpool and champions Manchester City after just two losses in 11 games – those reverses suffered against the top two in the table.
For Leicester, things have been more challenging. Steve Cooper was summoned to take over, and the step back up in class proved to be a massive challenge. The Foxes have managed only two wins in 11 league games and sit 15th. They have, however, found the net in all bar one of their league outings and could give their former boss plenty to think about.
The home side are likely to have Jamie Vardy and Bobby De Cordova-Reid back in contention after they missed the 3-0 defeat at Manchester United.
Talented winger Facundo Buonanotte picked up a booking in that Old Trafford loss and sits this one out. Ricardo Pereira and Hamza Choudhury are doubts, while Patson Daka hasn’t featured this season.
Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill both pulled out of the England squad over the break but are back in training with the Blues and expected to be available, while Jadon Sancho may also return to the matchday squad. Pedro Neto followed his goal against Arsenal with one for Portugal in their win over Poland and looks a key threat for the visitors.
Romeo Lavia had a slight hamstring problem during the international break with Belgium and a late call is likely on the 20-year-old’s availability.