Leicester City

Marti Cifuentes has highlighted the importance of Leicester looking inwards amid a tight Championship table at this stage in the season.

The Foxes boss told BBC Radio Leicester: "I think the most important thing is to focus on ourselves.

"Obviously, the position in the table, it helps to understand where you are in terms of performances but when you see how tight, how competitive it is in this division, you understand that small edges are so important."

Leicester currently sit 15th in the Championship with 24 points from 17 games but a win against Sheffield United on Saturday could close the gap to the sides currently occupying the play-off spots.

Cifuentes continued: "It's very important again to look at ourselves, how we can improve our level during the games, how we can pick up that consistency during the games and from game to game.

"That's where my focus is because... we don't want the difference at the top of table and us to increase. Just the opposite. But at the same time for me the most important thing is to make sure the team improves then I know that this will reflect on the table."

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Leicester City defender Caleb Okoli has been ruled out for up to six weeks with a knee injury.

The 24-year-old Italian last featured for the Foxes in the 2-1 win at Norwich City before the international break.

The club had hoped to have him back in the short-term, but scans have revealed that Okoli now faces an extended period out.

"We were waiting for some tests to get an answer when he could be ready, but unfortunately those tests came back with news that he will be away for few weeks with a knee injury," Leicester boss Marti Cifuentes told BBC Radio Leicester.

"That is where we are at the moment. It's difficult to say if he will be available before or after Christmas, but it will be around that."

Cifuentes also said Jakub Stolarczyk could be brought back into the squad for Saturday's game against Sheffield United after a spell out with a groin injury.

"He has been feeling better," Cifuentes said. "We're going to have a discussion and make the decision."

Both Leicester City and Sheffield United will be vying for a much needed ascent up the table when they meet at the King Power Stadium on Saturday (12:30 GMT)

Not many would have expected the two teams to be lingering at the bottom half of the table at the start of the season but while fortunes seem to be abandoning one, the other appears to finally be seeing some light.

The Blades have dragged themselves out of the bottom three following two successive 3-0 wins and will be hoping their season has finally kicked into gear.

Whereas Leicester succumbed to a difficult 3-0 defeat to Southampton last time out and are awaiting news of a possible points deduction that would make a promotion push even tougher.

• Leicester City are unbeaten in each of their last eight league games against Sheffield United (W6 D2), winning the last five in a row.

• Sheffield United have won just one of their last eight away league games against Leicester City (D2 L5), with this their first visit since a 5-0 loss in March 2021.

• Leicester have lost just one of their last 10 home league games (W5 D4), with no side in the Championship this season drawing more home games than the Foxes (4).

• After beating Sheffield Wednesday 3-0, Sheffield United are looking to record successive away league wins for the first time since March last season (run of six).

• Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder has lost all three of his managerial league games against Leicester, all in the Premier League from August 2019 to December 2020. He has only faced Liverpool (6), Man City (5), and Southampton (5) more without ever avoiding defeat in his career as a manager in the top four tiers.

Leicester City boss Marti Cifuentes says there is "no hiding" after his side were convincingly beaten 3-0 at Southampton on Tuesday night.

"It's a disappointing night, both the result and performance," Cifuentes told BBC Radio Leicester.

"The first goal had too much impact. It doesn't matter that it's a clear offside, we didn't react well after that.

"I am disappointed because it is not what we wanted to offer to our fans. It's not easy to come here, it's a long trip. We wanted to give them something else in terms of the performance and points.

"We're going to try again on Saturday [against Sheffield United]. There is no hiding when you have such a performance, you need to look at yourself, be very critical and analyse what went wrong."

The Foxes played almost an hour with 10 men after teenager Olabade Aluko was sent off after 33 minutes on his first league start for the club.

Cifuentes added: "He [Aluko] will be stronger after this, we will be here to help him. I am sure he will be a good player for us. I trust him, he has been playing well for us and we think he's a very good player."

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Leicester City forward Kian Pennant has extended his loan spell with National League side Gateshead until the end of December.

Pennant, 21, moved to Tyneside last month and has already played seven games for the Heed.

Kate Blakemore
Fan writer

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Somehow, after a really disappointing and stuttering start, Leicester find themselves only one point off the play-offs after victory against an in-form Stoke at the weekend.

We were able to capitalise on two loose passes from the visitors, with Patson Daka amongst the scorers to finally break his duck after almost a 12-month absence from the scoresheet.

The stats weren't pretty though. Two big chances, two shots on targets, two goals and Stoke were arguably the better side. Converting 100% of our chances is obviously an exception to the rule and adds pressure to a team that fails to create enough.

We had some periods of progressive play and seemed more eager to look for the forward pass rather than the easy backpass, which is encouraging.

However, with Asmir Begovic winning man of the match, it shows that our defensive frailty remains and continues to blight our game and spike the blood pressure of the fans.

Leicester take a lot more risks defensively than we do going forwards, which is the result of deep-rooted habits from yesteryear.

Habits are created with a persistent drive to change that is eventually rewarded and I hope that the players can sense that. The only way to change things though is through practice - and as luck would have it, we have Southampton on Tuesday night and Sheffield United on Saturday(!).

The fixture list offers little respite now and Leicester need to build on this slight hint of a good run to give themselves the best chance this season.

A possible points deduction remains the wolf at the door and with things being so congested in the table at the moment, it is more important than ever to try and negate the fallout from this as much as possible.

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Southampton will look to continue their marvellous winning run under interim boss Tonda Eckert as they host fellow relegated side Leicester City on Tuesday (20:00 GMT).

The Saints had only won two of their 13 games under previous boss Will Still before Eckert took charge, winning all three of their matches under the German to make a strong impression on fans.

However, Leicester have took victory in both their previous two league matches to inch closer to the play-offs and won't want to risk being caught by their hosts three points below them.

• Southampton have lost each of their last four league games against Leicester, their longest ever losing run against the Foxes.

• Leicester have lost just one of their last eight away league games against Southampton (W5 D2), going down 1-0 in the Premier League in March 2023.

• Southampton have won fewer home league games than any other ever-present side in the English Football League since the start of last season (3), though they did beat Sheffield Wednesday 3-1 last time out at St Mary's.

• Having won 2-1 at Norwich in their last away league game, Leicester are looking for back-to-back wins on the road for the first time since February 2024.

• Leicester have conceded the first goal in six of their eight away league games this season, though did come from behind to beat Norwich 2-1 last time out.

Image source, Rex Features

Boss Martin Cifuentes said earning back-to-back Championship wins following an inconsistent start to the season is a huge boost.

"It's an important win, especially because it makes it back-to-back wins," Cifuentes told BBC Radio Leicester after the 2-1 victory over Stoke City.

"To start back after the international break with three points is always a positive for building momentum and trying to build some confidence.

"I'm happy for the fans and for the players, because I know how hard they worked in a game that was not easy.

"What I've seen in the last three games is a team that is working really hard. We need to be humble, the Championship is a difficult league and you need to grind it out sometimes."

Goalkeeper Asmir Begovic insists promotion remains Leicester City's target this season, despite the Foxes' stuttered start to the campaign and looming threat of a points deduction.

Leicester beat Norwich City before the international break to end a five-game winless run.

And now, as the 12th-placed Foxes prepare to host third-placed Stoke on Saturday, the club is also readying itself for legal battle over spending rules and alleged breaches made when the club was promoted to the Premier League as Championship title winners in 2024.

That hearing is reportedly set to begin within days.

Begovic said the issue is for "people above my paygrade to handle", but "the noise" around what it could mean to the club's ambitions is something players need to deal with.

The players, he insists, are focused only on results on the pitch.

"We have to make sure that we are together, we keep believing and keep working hard," Begovic told BBC East Midlands Today.

And when asked if promotion remains the aim, the former Chelsea, Stoke, Bournemouth and Everton goalkeeper said: "Absolutely.

"There is still everything to play for," he continued. "There's still 31 games, so we will make sure that we put in those performances, take it a game at a time and hopefully put a string of wins together and then I think we will be where we need to be."

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Marti Cifuentes wants Leicester to build on their dramatic win at Norwich as they return from the international break with the visit of high-flying Stoke City.

The Foxes ended a five-match winless run in the Championship by coming from behind to win 2-1 at the lowly Canaries on 8 November to climb to 12th, four points outside the play-off places.

The Potters are third in the table ahead of their trip to the King Power Stadium (15:00 GMT) while Leicester are winless in five home games since August, have gone nine games without a clean sheet and have only scored five goals in their past six matches.

Cifuentes told BBC Radio Leicester: "All the games are big and important. We want to build on the good result we got at Norwich.

"We need to be ready because we know they are a dangerous team and they have the best defensive record in the league. Hopefully we can deliver a good performance."

City will again be without keeper Jakub Stolarczyk (groin) who Cifuentes said is "getting better" while Ben Nelson misses out after being stretchered off at Carrow Road, though he could return to training next week.

Victor Kristiansen has had knee surgery and it "will take some weeks until he's recovered".

Defender Caleb Okoli could feature after returning to training following a knock at Norwich, having started the past four games.

Amid recent speculation about points deductions, Cifuentes said he has been aware of talk about potential PSR penalties "since day one" but added: "It's nothing that affects us. My job is to make things as good as possible, improve the players on the pitch – it is nothing to do with me."

He would not be drawn on speculation about a sporting director being drafted in to work alongside him, adding: "When it comes to structural changes there's not much I can say. The club wants to improve.

"I cannot give a timeframe or how this will develop. It's not for me to comment on things (above my position)."

If you're wondering where your team is going to finish in the Championship this season, you no longer need to worry.

Well, kind of.

Opta's supercomputer has worked its magic to figure out the most likely final league position of every team - and the chances each has of being promoted, making the play-offs or getting relegated.

Who is most likely to win automatic promotion?

It will come as no surprise that leaders Coventry are heavy favourites for the title (69.3%) and also have the highest chance of automatic promotion (84.2%) to the Premier League.

The next most likely to go straight up, with a 30.8% chance, are Middlesbrough. Despite currently sitting seventh and six points behind Boro in second, Ipswich are expected to be the third favourites for a top two finish (18.9%) followed by Stoke (14.1%).

Even though they've each enjoyed a strong start to the campaign, Preston (10.3%), Hull (6.1%) and Millwall (8.3%) have slimmer chances of finishing in an automatic promotion spot.

Who will make the play-offs?

Image source, Rex Features

Even if Coventry don't win automatic promotion, Opta's supercomputer has given the Sky Blues a 97.9% chance of a top-six finish, suggesting it's almost guaranteed.

Each of Middlesbrough, Ipswich, Preston and Stoke are expected to finish in a minimum of a play-off position at least one in two times.

Hull might feel the hardest done by as they sit fifth currently, but are said to have less chance (32.3%) than Millwall (38.8%) and Charton (32.4%), who are below them in the table.

The most likely of the chasing pack to make a surge up the table are 12th-placed Leicester City, who have been given a 31.8% chance of finishing in the top six and are more likely than Bristol City (28.9%), Derby (22.9%) and Birmingham (19.9%).

Last season's beaten play-off finalists Sheffield United have just a 1.8% chance of recovering their season to make the play-offs again, while relegated Premier League side Southampton (12.5%) aren't likely to either... if you trust the supercomputer!

Who is going down?

Image source, Rex Features

It's probably not hard to work out who is most likely to finish bottom and be relegated to League One.

Sheffield Wednesday's 12-point deduction, which has left them 17 points adrift of safety on -4 points, means they're pretty much nailed on to finish bottom (84.8%) - and failing that, are almost certain to go down (98.2%).

Second from bottom Norwich are the next most likely candidates to fall through the trap door (58.5%) but Sheffield United, who currently occupy the final relegation spot, have just a 22.4% chance of going down and are considered more likely to stay up than Oxford (37.8%) and Portsmouth (31.3%).

Leicester City return to Championship action after the international break as they welcome high-flying Stoke City to the King Power on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

The Foxes lie 12th, four points below the play-off places, having come from behind to claim a dramatic late win at Norwich in their final game before the break to end a five-match winless run in which they claimed just two points.

Off the back of three straight wins, the Potters went down to a late winner at home to leaders Coventry last time out and slipped to third, two points behind second-placed Middlesbrough.

• Leicester City have won their past two league games against Stoke and are looking for three consecutive wins over the Potters for the first time since March 1977.

• Stoke City have won one of their past 12 league games against Leicester (D6 L5), winning 1-0 in the Premier League back in January 2015.

• Leicester go into this game six points behind Stoke in the Championship table. The Foxes have won just one of their past 25 league games when trailing a side by 6+ points in the table going into the game (D4 L20), winning 2-1 at Tottenham in January.

• Stoke have won their past two away league games and are looking to win three in a row for the first time since a run of four in November/December 2005. They've already won as many away games in 2025/26 as they managed in the entirety of 2024/25 (4).

• Leicester's Abdul Fatawu ranks first for ball carries (291), shots after a ball carry (28) and ball carry distance (3,448 metres) in the Championship this season.

"I think we've been asking to hear from the powers that be for quite a while - it's been long overdue."

BBC Radio Leicester's Owynn Palmer-Atkin is joined by former Foxes winger Matt Piper and Lynn Wyeth from the Foxes Trust to discuss the changes to Leicester City's board announced on Friday.

Listen to the latest episode of When You're Smiling and more Leicester City content on BBC Sounds.

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Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury scored twice for Bangladesh as they drew 2-2 with Nepal in an international friendly in Dhaka.

The 28-year-old equalised just after half-time with a spectacular bicycle kick, before giving his side the lead from the penalty spot with his second goal in the space of five minutes.

Nepal equalised in stoppage time to leave Bangladesh without a win in their past five internationals.

Choudhury now has four goals in six senior international appearances and is set to be involved again when Bangladesh host India in an Asian Cup qualifier next Tuesday.

Former Leicester City striker Steve Howard says that Foxes forward Bobby De Cordova-Reid has given boss Marti Cifuentes "a headache" when it comes to team selection.

The Jamaica international scored his first league goal of the season to level the score against Norwich City on Saturday, before Jordan James netted the winner for the Foxes in added time.

"He's an experienced lad, talks really well, you need people like that in your side when you're going through your barren spells and when your confidence is a bit low," Howard told BBC Radio Leicester.

"He's now given Cifuentes a bit of headache, which is great.

"He's now thinking 'well, I've produced for 15 to 20 minutes like you've asked me to. I've scored a goal, the team needs to score goals because it's obviously struggling in that department. Put me on and I'll show you what to do'."

Leicester have scored 18 goals so far this season, the third lowest in the top 12.

Listen to the full episode of When You're Smiling and more Leicester City content on BBC Sounds.

Leicester City manager Marti Cifuentes spoke to BBC Radio Leicester following Saturday's 2-1 win at Norwich.

"It was very important for the whole group because it has not been easy days or easy weeks," he said.

"The guys showed character, and we finished the game as the better team.

"The way we finished the last game (a late draw with Middlesbrough in midweek) had a big impact mentally, so to be able to respond from a mental point of view was extremely strong.

"From day one I've said it doesn't matter how much quality you have got, you need to be together, need to show commitment and this attitude because it is not the easiest league in the world.

"I think the guys are getting there. Cultural changes are the ones that time more time, so we are trying to get there. It will be up and down, for sure, but now we can reflect on what we have done well over the last couple of games and we need to keep working in this way and analyse what we can improve on."