Leicester City vs Liverpool. Premier League.
The King Power StadiumAttendance32,034.
Monday 27 February 2017 19:05, UK
Craig Shakespeare will be in temporary charge of Leicester City for Liverpool's visit on Monday Night Football with the Premier League champions still searching for their first top-flight goal of 2017.
The Premier League champions have not won in the league since Boxing Day and, when asked if he wanted the job to save the club from relegation, Shakespeare was bullish in his reply.
"Do I think I can do the job? Yes. Does it faze me? No. But again, the focus is just on Monday night," Shakespeare said in his pre-match press conference.
Meanwhile, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp takes his players to the King Power Stadium wary of a side who may produce a reaction in the wake of the departure of their manager, as is so often the case.
But Leicester's situation is one which does not concern him specifically.
"Things I have no influence on I cannot really think about," he said. "Does it change a lot for us? Not sure, we will see.
"I think probably the two assistants will do it so that's not a change. Probably the players have to show a few things and they [will] want to. It is obvious to not let them.
"You saw the Champions League game [in the 2-1 defeat at Sevilla in midweek] and the reaction after they scored: it was like two different games before and after they scored.
"Obviously they needed this goal to get confidence back. It was unbelievable the change in this one second when they scored.
"Maybe they can keep this and then we have to make it not too easy for them to bring it on the pitch or to not let their confidence grow.
"We have to play our best football - that's what we have been working on for 15 days. If we play our best we will be difficult to play against whoever."
Leicester's record signing Islam Slimani will be assessed ahead of the visit of the match. The striker has been struggling with a groin injury, but did travel to Spain for their Champions League defeat at Sevilla and has trained this week.
The Foxes will also assess Leonardo Ulloa, who has been out with a thigh problem.
Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has been ruled out of the match due to a foot injury, according to Sky sources, after suffering a badly bruised foot in training at the weekend. Emre Can is likely to replace him, though Gini Wijnaldum is also in contention.
Centre-back Dejan Lovren remains a doubt with a knee injury.
The Croat, who travelled to Germany to see a specialist this week, has missed the last two matches and only started light training on Friday.
Striker Daniel Sturridge is also a doubt as he is still suffering the effects of a virus which forced him to return home early from the club's training camp in Spain last week.
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Leicester won this exact fixture last season thanks to two goals from Jamie Vardy (2-0). They've not won back-to-back home league games against Liverpool since August 1972.
The Reds won the previous encounter 4-1 in September, but they haven't beaten Leicester home and away in the same season since 2001-02.
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).
Liverpool have won more away games against reigning Premier League champions than any other side (8), including at Stamford Bridge in 2015-16. The Reds are also the only side to have done so in consecutive seasons (2000-01 and 2001-02 vs Man Utd).
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 (final six games of the season).
I thought Leicester had a good result during the week in the Champions League, to come away from Sevilla with a 2-1 score was decent, so fair play to them and they are in the tie but it was still a loss. Liverpool need to win and Leicester are suffering from a lack of confidence.
Liverpool are quite open and will travel to the King Power and have a go. They will highlight this game and draws are not good really so they will be going forward, leave themselves open and I expect Leicester to score.
MERSON PREDICTS: 1-3 (11/1 with Sky Bet)
Liverpool are Sky Bet's 8/13 favourites for the victory, with Leicester priced at 17/4, while the draw is a 3/1 chance. The Reds were cut to 8/13 to secure a top-four finish following their 2-0 victory over Tottenham, while Claudio Ranieri's men headed into the weekend as 7/4 shots to suffer relegation. Roberto Firmino heads the first goalscorer betting at 9/2, while Islam Slimani is considered the visitors' main threat at 8/1, despite Jamie Vardy's (17/2) midweek heroics.
