Image source, Rex Features

Leicester: Hermansen, Ricardo, Faes, Vestergaard, Justin, Choudhury, Winks, Dewsbury-Hall, McAteer, Mavididi, Cannon.

Subs: Stolarczyk, Coady, Nelson, Doyle, Albrighton, Marcal, Yunus, Praet, Vardy.

Ipswich: Hladky, Clarke, Woolfenden, Edmundson, Davis, Travis, Luongo, Burns, Chaplin, Harness, Jackson.

Subs: Walton, Tuanzebe, Ball, Humphreys, Taylor, Hutchinson, Sarmiento, Aluko, Broadhead.

The sound of the Post-Horn Gallop means only one thing - the teams are on their way out onto the field at King Power Stadium and we are quickly approaching kick-off.

Can't wait for this one!

Image source, Rex Features

It is only 27 days since these two sides met in the reverse fixture at Portman Road, which ended as a 1-1 draw.

Stephy Mavididi's fine curling strike from just outside the box put the Foxes in front before half-time, but a deflected shot from Sam Morsy found the net late on to ensure the points were shared.

Ipswich's record on the road against other teams in the Championship's top six this season has been a mixed one.

They won by a single goal at Southampton in September, but then lost 2-0 at West Bromwich Albion in November and were thumped 4-0 by Leeds at Elland Road two days before Christmas.

Conor Chaplin, who captains the Tractor Boys tonight, is embracing a trip to the league leaders.

He told BBC Radio Suffolk: "We fancy our chances against any team in this division. We’ve shown that on any certain day we can be a match for anyone in this league. I felt that was the case on Boxing Day, we matched them and probably deserved a point.

"They're the best team in this division without a doubt, they’ve got a great squad with Premier League experience and Premier League players that will be looking to get back there, but it's a place we’re looking to go and get a positive result."

Image source, Rex Features

It was some achievement by Ipswich to match Leicester almost stride for stride during the first half of the season, but they have slipped slightly adrift of the Foxes because of a five-match winless spell during the festive run of fixtures.

Four of those games ended as draws, but that sequence has been enough for Leicester to re-establish a gap at the top and for Southampton to reel Ipswich in and take second place before tonight's match.

Kieran McKenna's side have since got back to winning ways with consecutive victories in league and cup, although in the Championship last time out they trailed Sunderland at home and fought back to win 2-1.

Robbie: As a Saints fan I believe that the best result for us is a draw, reel 'em both in I say and we’ll be top of the league by the end of February... COYR.

Fred, Suffolk (but not Ipswich): Kieran McKenna has to be worth a mention for manager of the year. For Ipswich to be in the play-offs at all is remarkable, let alone a contender for the top two. Many people say the Championship is the toughest league in Europe, but whether they go up or not, his side has made it look far more straightforward.

Image source, Getty Images

Leicester have had nine days to stew over their most recent result - a defeat at neighbours Coventry.

They had led at the break but played the entire second half with 10 men following Abdul Fatawu's sending-off, and conceded three times in the final 12 minutes to lose 3-1.

Despite that setback, Leicester are still more than handily placed to secure an immediate return to the top flight and manager Enzo Maresca does not believe the result this evening will have a definitive impact on the race for the Premier League.

He told BBC Radio Leicester: "From now until the end, it’s always a chance where you can go more points or less points [clear of the other team] but that means nothing.

"If we go 10 points [clear of Ipswich], we still have 18 games to play. If we maintain the same distance [of points], it's the same - 18 games to go. And if we drop points, it will be exactly the same.

"It's still a long race, but we are happy with the position that we’re in now."

Image source, Getty Images

Leicester have proved themselves to be the class of the Championship this season, winning 21 of their 27 league matches.

Prior to their loss at Coventry on 13 January, Enzo Maresca's side had won eight and drawn two of their previous 10 league games. They conceded equalisers in the 90th minute or later in each of those two draws, which came at Sheffield Wednesday and Ipswich.

A win tonight would put Leicester 10 points clear of both Southampton and Ipswich with 18 games remaining.

Image source, Getty Images

Tonight's meeting of first and third in the Championship has been given a little extra spice by results at the weekend.

Southampton moved above Ipswich into second place after extending their unbeaten run in all competitions to a club record 21 matches on Saturday. Saints were 3-1 victors at Russell Martin's former club Swansea.

On Sunday, Leeds kept themselves in the hunt for a top-two finish with a last-gasp home win over Preston.

With West Bromwich Albion losing at Norwich and now nine points adrift of fourth-placed Leeds, it is looking increasingly like two from four to go up automatically to the Premier League.

Image source, Getty Images

With two promotion contenders going head to head this evening, I would love to share some of your memories of similar matches from years gone by.

My most vivid is Cardiff v Wolves in 2018. Wolves led 1-0 in Wales and the hosts were awarded two penalties in stoppage time but failed to score either and were beaten. Cardiff manager Neil Warnock was, well, let's just say he was not best pleased with Wolves' wild celebrations at full-time.

Both sides went up to the Premier League anyway so in the grand scheme of things the result did not matter too much, but it is certainly one of the craziest endings to a football match I have ever attended.

Got one of your own? Get in touch using any of the methods above.

Andrew Aloia
BBC Sport at King Power Stadium

Here we are, in deepest, darkest (and windiest) winter, and Leicester City are seemingly on an irrepressible march back to the Premier League.

Even after the 10-man Foxes were beaten by Coventry City last time out, they remain seven points clear at the Championship summit.

It would have been this time last season that many were saying ‘Leicester City are too good to go down’. Now, it feels like are in too good a position not to go straight back up.

But - and there will always be a but - how much of a say will Ipswich have?

A draw would be enough to return them to the automatic promotion spots in second, while a win would get them to within four points of Leicester.

The Tractor Boys have come to this season’s automatic promotion race from an entirely different direction, having come up from League One last season, but they have shown on more than one occasion to have real staying power.

One thing is for certain - tonight will be one of the most pivotal of the campaign for both sides.

Image source, Rex Features

Leicester are without Abdul Fatawu because of suspension following his red card at Coventry last weekend, while Cesare Casadei was recalled from his loan spell with the Foxes by Chelsea. Hamza Choudhury and Kasey McAteer start for the hosts, while Jamie Vardy is among the substitutes and could make his first club appearance since 29 November.

Ipswich also make two changes from their most recent fixture. Marcus Harness and Massimo Luongo are in for Jack Taylor and Nathan Broadhead. Midfielder Sam Morsy is again missing as he completes a two-match suspension.

A Leicester win would open up a 10-point gap between themselves and the rest. Automatic promotion would be far from in the bag, but it would be a brave person that bets against them not finishing in the top two in that scenario.

Avoiding defeat would be enough for Ipswich to climb back above Southampton into second spot, while a win would take the Tractor Boys within four points of the leaders.

Image source, Rex Features

There is still more than a third of the Championship season to go, but sometimes the fixture list throws up a match-up which just feels will be important come the finale in May.

For much of this season, it felt a two-horse race for automatic promotion. A little over a month ago, Leicester and Ipswich held a 10-point gap over the chasing pack.

But things are different now.

A relentless Southampton and a consistent Leeds United are now right in the mix for a top-two finish, so now is not the time for a slip-up.

It is first versus third as Leicester take on Ipswich and kick-off is about 30 minutes away.

As Championship games go, this is a huge one.