Fulham vs Leicester preview: Jamie Vardy a doubt for Foxes

Leicester could be without striker Jamie Vardy when they travel to Fulham in the Premier League on Wednesday.

Vardy scored a penalty in Leicester's 2-0 win over Watford at the weekend but has a groin problem which may require surgery.

Speaking on Monday, Foxes boss Claude Puel said: "We will see (about Vardy). I don't know for the moment. I know he felt something but we will see with him and my medical staff."

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Merson's predictions

This will be the first time that Fulham manager Claudio Ranieri has faced Leicester since winning the Premier League title with the club in 2015/16.

Ranieri was sacked nine months after the success, but Puel says he has "a lot of respect" for the Italian.

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"A lot of people in the club have a lot of respect for him, for what he won, for what he gave for the club. It was fantastic.

"But we are professional, we have professional staff and the most important thing is we will want to perform against his team."

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Ranieri has started life at Fulham with a 3-2 win over Southampton and a 2-0 defeat at west London rivals Chelsea on Sunday.

Fulham are bottom of the Premier League table.

Team news

Fulham forward Andre Schurrle is available after missing the defeat to Chelsea with a knock, but Floyd Ayite is out with a small groin problem.

Harry Maguire and Rachid Ghezzal have returned to full training with Leicester but will not be available on Wednesday.

The game will also come too soon for Matty James (Achilles).

Opta stats

• This will be the first league game between Fulham and Leicester since the 2003-04 Premier League campaign, when Fulham won both meetings 2-0.
• Leicester City haven't won away at Fulham in any competition since a second-tier game in April 1983, drawing one and losing three of their visits since.
• Leicester City won the last meeting of any kind against Fulham, beating them 4-3 at the King Power Stadium in a League Cup match in October 2013.
• Fulham are without a clean sheet in 18 Premier League games, conceding 46 goals in the competition since beating Norwich 1-0 in April 2014.
• Leicester are unbeaten in five Premier League games (W2 D3), last going longer without defeat in the competition in May 2016 (12 games) during their title-winning campaign under now-Fulham manager Claudio Ranieri.
• Fulham are looking to secure consecutive home wins in the Premier League for the first time since April 2013.
• Fulham have shipped 35 goals in their 14 league games this season - only Barnsley in 1997-98 (40) have conceded more at this stage of a Premier League campaign.
• Fulham's Aleksandr Mitrovic has scored five goals in his last five Premier League home games.

Merson's prediction

I watched Fulham against Chelsea on Sunday and they did alright but against Leicester, they'll have to come out and win this game. However, defensively they'll just give you chance after chance and I expect Leicester to capitalise.

Leicester themselves didn't produce the best performance against Watford, but they do possess much more of a threat than Fulham.

PAUL PREDICTS: 1-2 (17/1 with Sky Bet)

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