Team news, key stats and ways to follow ahead of Leicester vs Aston Villa in the Premier League.
Team news
Jamie Vardy is expected to return to the Leicester squad for the clash with Aston Villa. The striker, who has scored 17 Premier League goals this season, has missed the last two matches with a calf injury but Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers is optimistic he will have his talisman back in contention.
While Vardy's return will come as an undoubted boost, Leicester may be dealt a blow by the absence of left-back Ben Chilwell as he is nursing a hamstring problem.
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Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers hopes Jamie Vardy will be available to face Aston Villa on Monday Night Football
Villa's John McGinn is nearing a comeback from his fractured ankle which has sidelined him for three months. The midfielder could be available to face Chelsea next weekend but will not feature at the King Power Stadium.
Boss Dean Smith has no other fitness concerns and could recall Pepe Reina after he was a substitute in the 2-1 Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City on Sunday.
How to follow
Follow the match on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event from 7pm; kick-off 8pm. Also keep up-to-date in our dedicated live blog, with highlights published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after full-time.
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Leicester striker Jamie Vardy tells Smithy about some of the things in his diet that keep him sharp.
Opta stats
- Leicester are looking to complete a league double over Aston Villa for the first time since the 1996-97 season.
- Aston Villa have won just one of their 10 away Premier League games against Leicester, winning 5-0 in January 2004 under David O'Leary.
- Aston Villa are without a win in nine Premier League away games played on Monday (D2 L7), since a 3-1 victory at Liverpool in August 2009 under Martin O'Neill.
- Leicester have lost their last two Premier League matches on a Monday - last losing three in a row on this day back in September 2001 under Peter Taylor.
- Leicester City have failed to win any of their last four matches in the Premier League (D2 L2), failing to score in their last three. The Foxes last went four consecutive top-flight matches without scoring back in February 2017 (6), during Claudio Ranieri's final six matches.
- No Premier League side has conceded more goals via set pieces (inc. penalties) this season than Aston Villa (18), while no side has shipped more goals via corners than the Villans (9).
- Aston Villa have won just eight points away from home in the Premier League this season, only Norwich City (6) have collected fewer on their travels. However, four of those eight points have arrived in their last four outings (W1 D1 L2).
- Leicester forward Jamie Vardy has gone 641 minutes without a Premier League goal, attempting just 10 shots and landing four on target in the process.
- Jack Grealish has been directly involved in 38 per cent of Aston Villa's 34 Premier League goals this season (seven goals, six assists) - more than any other player. Indeed, Grealish has provided eight assists in all competitions this term, his best tally in a single campaign.
- Leicester's Kelechi Iheanacho has been directly involved in eight goals in his last five appearances against Aston Villa in all competitions, scoring six goals and assisting two. He has scored in all three games against them this season for the Foxes - the last Premier League player to score against the same side in four different games in a single season was Romelu Lukaku vs West Ham in 2014-15.
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Norwich's win over Leicester in the Premier League
Charlie's prediction
Leicester have really been struggling. Their free-flowing football has gone and their energy levels have dropped. They've still got a lovely cushion of five points on Chelsea in fourth, but these are the type of games where they must look at against Aston Villa, second from bottom, and say they must be beating them.
Villa, to their credit, had a go in the Carabao Cup final. They weren't good enough early on but they fought back. Mbwana Samatta getting another goal should be a boost for them, but their defence makes too many mistakes.
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Highlights of the Carabao Cup Final between Aston Villa and Manchester City
Pepe Reina has to come back and show his experience but I can't really see Villa getting anything from this game. Leicester look at this and must surely think a win here and they're pretty much there in the Champions League places.
CHARLIE PREDICTS: 2-1 (15/2 with Sky Bet)
