Leicester City will hate new West Brom update emerging from The Hawthorns | OneFootball

Leicester City will hate the news that West Bromwich Albion star Karlan Grant is set to return next month

Leicester City and West Bromwich Albion have both found themselves scrambling for Championship survival despite beginning the campaign with promotion aspirations.

The Foxes were playing in the Premier League just last season, but are now facing the prospect of back-to-back relegations, a threat which has been exacerbated by their six-point deduction.

Meanwhile, West Brom were initially dragged into trouble by former boss Ryan Mason, who led the Baggies to 10 successive away defeats in the second tier.

Mason's replacement, Eric Ramsay, proved to be even worse for Albion and was sacked just 44 days after being appointed, having failed to win any of his nine games in charge.

The Hawthorns club are now under the interim stewardship of James Morrison, while Leicester have also overseen a managerial change this term, with Gary Rowett replacing Marti Cifuentes in February.

West Bromwich Albion handed survival boost which will worry Leicester City

Rowett's side are currently in the relegation zone with 38 points to their name and just eight Championship games remaining, whereas Morrison's men are only one point above the bottom three and two points clear of the Foxes.

West Brom successfully defeated promotion contenders Hull City 3-0 last time out, giving them fresh hope that they can avoid the drop to League One.

In contrast, Leicester were beaten 3-1 by Queens Park Rangers last Saturday, but the King Power Stadium club had been feeling more optimistic following their 1-1 draw with Ipswich Town and their 2-0 win over Bristol City on 7 March and 10 March, respectively.

Meanwhile, as revealed by the Express & Star, injured Baggies ace Karlan Grant could return to fitness in time for either his side's away trip to Preston North End on 18 April, or their home clash with Watford on 21 April.

Barring a loan spell with Cardiff City in the 2023/24 campaign, the forward has been a key man for the Baggies in the Championship since 2021.

Before suffering his hamstring injury in a meeting with Derby County on 23 January, Grant had scored three goals in 23 league appearances this season, with all three of his strikes coming in either December or January.

The 28-year-old had not been on his best form this term, but his past exploits in Albion colours prove that he could be a major asset for Morrison's side amid their survival efforts.

Grant notched seven goals and two assists as the Baggies missed out on the Championship play-offs last term, and will always strive to match his 2021/22 return of 18 goals and six assists in 44 second-tier appearances.

If the former Huddersfield Town man hits form once he returns to action next month, it will bolster West Brom's survival chances, which spells bad news for Midlands rivals Leicester, amid their own efforts to avoid relegation to League One.

As previously mentioned, Grant could return for the Baggies either in time for next month's meeting with Preston or their encounter with Watford three days later.

The forward has a strong record against the Hornets, having scored three goals in his eight fixtures against the Vicarage Road club, as per Transfermarkt, and will be keen to notch against them once more, amid his side's relegation battle.

Meanwhile, suffering relegation to League One this term would be a disastrous outcome for Leicester, who won the Premier League title 10 years ago and the FA Cup five years ago.

However, that nightmare scenario could be coming true, and Grant's return to West Brom action can only damage the Foxes' survival credentials.