Leicester vs AEK Athens preview: Europa League preview, team news, stats, kick-off time

Team news and stats ahead of Leicester vs AEK Athens in the Europa League group stage on Thursday (kick-off 8pm).

Team news

Leicester will remain without Timothy Castagne and Caglar Soyuncu. The Belgian is in the final stages of his rehabilitation but Thursday's game will come too soon for return to match action.

Soyuncu - who tweaked a hamstring injury just 15 minutes into his return against Zorya Luhansk last Thursday - is also working on his recovery.

Manager Brendan Rodgers said: "I don't want to get locked into any sort of time and date. This is going to be about how he feels.

"The scan showed up clear but it was more telling us how he feels, that he wasn't quite there himself with the comfort. We just need to make sure he is right, so that will be paced by him and the medical team."

Ricardo Pereira, who also sustained a groin strain on his own comeback last week, and Daniel Amartey also remain out.

AEK Athens left-back Emanuel Insua will be suspended for the trip to the King Power. Other than that, the Greek side have a full squad to choose from.

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Leicester have qualified for the last 32 and will top the group by bettering Braga's result against Zorya Luhansk. AEK Athens have already been eliminated.

• Europa League news | Fixtures | Tables
• Europa League last 32 draw: Dates and teams

How to follow

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Opta stats

• Leicester City's 2-1 win over AEK on MD2 of this season's UEFA Europa League was their first ever meeting in European competition.
• AEK Athens have lost four of their five away major UEFA European matches in England - their only win was in November 1976, beating Derby County in the Cup Winners' Cup at the Baseball Ground.
• Leicester City have won seven of their 11 home matches in major UEFA competition (D3 L1), with their only home defeat coming in September 1997 against Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Cup at Filbert Street.
• AEK Athens have lost 10 of their last 11 matches in the UEFA Europa League/Champions League (W1), having gone nine unbeaten before this run (W2 D7).
• Since losing his first home UEFA Europa League game in 2012/13 with Liverpool against Udinese, Brendan Rodgers has won eight of his 12 home games in the competition (D2 L2) across spells with Liverpool, Celtic and Leicester.

Pitch to Post Weekend Review podcast

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