Gareth Southgate is in the stands tonight. Will Jamie Vardy be in his next England squad? Not if form is taken into account surely.

Leicester: Schmeichel, Simpson, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs, Mahrez, Drinkwater, Ndidi, Albrighton, Vardy, Okazaki. Subs : Chilwell, King, Amartey, Slimani, Zieler, Gray, Ulloa.

Liverpool : Mignolet, Clyne, Matip, Lucas, Milner, Lallana, Can, Wijnaldum, Mane, Firmino, Coutinho. Subs : Karius, Klavan, Moreno, Origi, Stewart, Woodburn, Alexander-Arnold. Referee : Lee Mason (Lancashire)

'THANK YOU CLAUDIO' is the simple message conveyed by the largest banner on display inside the stadium tonight. Keep it simple and you can't go wrong. 

Image source, Reuters

Here they come. The teams are in the tunnel, greeted by a large roar from the home fans. They certainly haven't come to turn on the players tonight.

Unity is needed. And unity is what Leicester has got, for the time being at least. 

• Leicester could become the first reigning top-flight champion to lose 15 league games within a season since Leeds United in 1992-93.
• The Foxes have lost their last five league games – the only other reigning top-flight champion to lose six on the bounce are Everton in 1928-29 

Former Leicester defender and out-of-work manager Gary Rowett: “There has to be some sort of side effect to achieving something so big. It has to take some of that hunger away. 

“They had a very familiar way of playing and it was successful. When you’ve played in an obvious way everyone knows it so then they say ‘OK Leicester, you have the ball and we’ll sit off you’.

“It is not all about losing hunger, winning the league, or earning more money. There are difficult challenges which face you.”

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer at The King PowerStadium

A burst of "Nessun Dorma" over the loudspeaker - reviving memories of the emotional day in May when blind Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli stood alongside Claudio Ranieri before the meeting with Everton on the day Leicester City were presented with the title.

The moment has just flashed up on the big screens here and was greeted with a huge roar and sustained applause from Leicester's fans.

Image source, Getty Images

Robbie Savage
Ex-Leicester City & Wales midfielder on BBC Radio 5 live

I don't think this group of players, with their confidence at the moment, can go out there and beat Liverpool tonight. 

The place is almost full now, the Thai owners are in situ in their box. Will they see a win at last? Or is time for a rested Liverpool to blow their way back into the top four? 

Watch a stunning solo goal from one of the Black Spartans team playing in the Adult Males category of the 2017 FA People's Cup first round.

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Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer at The King Power Stadium

Leicester City caretaker manager Craig Shakespeare has restored his team to title default settings for his first selection - with the exception of Wifred Ndidi for N'Golo Kante, this is effectively the side that won the Premier League.

Shakespeare's job is to get them playing something like title-winners rather than the abject outfit that has dropped into relegation places.

He has been out on the pitch here at The King Power Stadium delivering animated instructions to his players. Can he get the required response?

Leicester City

Leicester caretaker manager Craig Shakespeare: "It's a tried and trusted team, they know what it's about. 4-4-2.

"We need a performance, the lads have been very good for the last few days. Team selection has taken care of itself. It has been a different week, to say the least. The players have dealt with it well.

"The players have been questioned. We know we need a reaction and a result and hopefully the season starts tonight.

"Everyone has had a go at us and hopefully it puts a bit more fire in the belly."

A female fan in the stands holds up a Leicester shirt with 'Ranieri 16' on the back. Keep that, get it signed. It's quite a story to tell in 20 years...

'Back to the weapons.' A lovely touch. 

Liverpool

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp speaking to Sky Sports about their warm weather training in La Manga: "I think it makes sense to change the scenery every now and again. 

"I wasn't frustrated we couldn't play immediately after the brilliant performance against Spurs. I do not get frustrated at things we cannot change. We tried to use the time wisely. 

"Unfortunately we can't bring back players - Dejan Lovren is out, Daniel Sturridge was ill and is still recovering and now Hendo (Jordan Henderson) has had a bad knock on his foot so that's not too cool. 

"They may not be totally responsible but I'm pretty sure the Leicester players feel some responsibility and they will want to play well. 

"You just have to look at the starting line-up tonight to see they are practically playing the same team who became champions last season so they are going back to their roots as it were. Back to the weapons". 

Under half an hour to go now then. 

Leicester have not won in the league since new year's eve. Is tonight the night?

Image source, Getty Images

Former Leicester defender  Gary Rowett, who was sacked from his post as Birmingham manager in December 2016 was speaking to 5 live about his experience: 

“After I was sacked by Birmingham I remember speaking to a couple of experienced managers and they said as a young manager you almost have to accept that part of the process is being sacked.

“It is not necessarily classed as failure nowadays, whereas as before it was a stigma on your CV.

“Tony Pulis rang me up the next morning, he laughed and said ‘unless you’ve been sacked three times then you’re not a proper manager!’ That’s the reality of football and the industry we’re in.

“It is a lonely job, leaving players out and you almost don’t want to see players who you have left out at breakfast. It is an emotional challenge every single day, trying to be upbeat and inspire people. One thing I’ve learnt is that, even when you’re winning, players moan. The key is to not let them get into two big groups moaning."

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer at The King Power Stadium

Claudio Ranieri may have left Leicester City but Leicester City's fans are only too keen to remember the 65-year-old Italian who brought the Premier League to The King Power Stadium last season.

There have been plenty of Ranieri face masks on show, a march to the ground in celebration of his feats and fans holding placards in support of the Italian outside the stadium.

Leicester City's players have taken heavy criticism for their part in Ranieri's downfall but have just received a warm ovation as they came out to warm up.

Image source, PA

• The Foxes’ last three Premier League goals against Liverpool have all been scored by Jamie Vardy. He’s the only Leicester player to score against Liverpool at the King Power Stadium.
• However, Vardy has scored in just one of his last 18 Premier League games (a hat-trick v Manchester City in December).