Cardiff vs Leicester preview: Foxes play first game since death of Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha
Leicester manager Claude Puel says the outcome of the game against Cardiff is irrelevant with the sole focus on honouring Srivaddhanaprabha
Saturday 3 November 2018 13:28, UK
Leicester travel to Cardiff City on Saturday for their first Premier League match since the death of owner and chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha.
Srivaddhanaprabha was among five people killed in a helicopter crash outside the King Power Stadium last Saturday night following the 1-1 draw with West Ham.
Vichai's son Aiyawatt and the players insisted this weekend's game go ahead as part of the ongoing tribute to the late chairman and manager Claude Puel says the outcome of Leicester's match with Cardiff is irrelevant with the sole focus on honouring Srivaddhanaprabha.
Speaking ahead of the visit to Cardiff, Puel said: "The game is not important, the result is not important but our desire, our action, our power to give our best on the pitch, to honour our chairman - I think is the most important thing.
"The result is the second thing but I think about our condition, our focus. We will be ready but I hope we can find a good balance between conviction and emotion in this game because if we remain just on the emotion it will be difficult."
Cardiff have organised a Thai flag with both club badges to be passed from the Ninian Stand at the Cardiff City Stadium to the away end before the game against Leicester. A wreath will also be laid before the match and there will be a minute's silence held.
Neil Warnock says Cardiff owner Vincent Tan was determined to ensure the match against Leicester offered a deserving tribute to Srivaddhanaprabha.
"We have not been directly involved with everything and yet the feeling is that we are directly involved with everything," he said. "Sean Morrison [Cardiff captain] had a couple of meetings with me to make sure it was appropriate for the Leicester players.
"There will be tributes - our chairman, in particular, wanted to pay tribute from Vincent and everyone at the club. We will have a minute's silence and a moment to reflect. Then somehow, two teams have to get on with a game of football. It is an important game but it seems irrelevant really, talking about the game, when you see the things that have happened this week."
Team news
Cardiff welcome back Harry Arter for Leicester's visit to the Welsh capital.
Arter has recovered from an ankle injury which forced him to miss the 4-1 defeat at Liverpool last weekend, but Jazz Richards is out with a knock picked up in training and Joe Ralls completes a three-match ban
Daniel Amartey will miss the trip to Cardiff. The 23-year-old midfielder suffered a serious ankle injury during the home draw with West Ham last weekend and he is set to be sidelined for around four months after undergoing surgery.
Captain Wes Morgan is available again after serving a ban, while Matty James resumed training this week after a long-term Achilles problem.
Opta stats
- Cardiff have lost just one of their last six meetings with Leicester in all competitions (W2 D3), with this their first match since March 2013 (1-1 in the Championship). They are also unbeaten in four home games against Leicester in all competitions (W1 D3), since a 2-3 defeat in the 2009-10 Championship play-offs.
- Warnock's side are looking to secure consecutive home top-flight wins in the same season for the first time since their last two home matches in the 1961-62 campaign.
- This will be Warnock's 22nd meeting with Leicester in all competitions (W8 D4 L9), and only his second in the top-flight, after his Crystal Palace side beat Nigel Pearson's Leicester 2-0 in September 2014.
- Leicester have won their last three top-flight meetings with Cardiff, by an aggregate score of 10-0. However, this is the first such meeting since April 1962 (Cardiff 0-4 Leicester). They have won six of their last eight Premier League games against promoted sides (D1 L1).
- Leicester have scored at least once in each of their last 12 Premier League games, though they've ended up losing more of these games than they've won (W5 D1 L6).
- None of Leicester's last 12 away Premier League games have finished level (W4 D0 L8).
Merson's prediction
I just don't know about this game. I don't know if it's too soon for the players, only they will know. It's one of them; Leicester could go out like a team possessed and win, or it could go the other way. It's a really difficult one to call.
PAUL PREDICTS: 2-1
