Leicester City VS Middlesbrough
Saturday (26/11/2016)
16:00 (WAT)
Saturday (26/11/2016)
16:00 (WAT)
Leicester's attacking options have been bolstered by the return to fitness of record signing Islam Slimani and Leonardo Ulloa after respective groin and back problems.
Danny Drinkwater begins a three-game ban after accepting a Football Association charge of violent conduct for elbowing Watford's Valon Behrami.
Middlesbrough defender George Friend remains sidelined by a knee injury.
Dani Ayala is still absent with an ankle injury.
The Foxes 12-point haul is just less than half the total they had at this stage last season.
Meanwhile, a fourth consecutive away draw might be the best Boro can hope for as the Premier League's joint lowest scorers try to get past a defence that has only been breached four times in the league at home all season.
WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY
Leicester City manager, Claudio Ranieri said he 'expected difficulties (this season), but not so strong', with his team losing half of their league games so far.
"We are happy for the Champions League, unhappy for the Premier League. Now, we have to balance this.
"I told the players to forget the Champions League and 100% concentrate on the Premier League and Middlesbrough.
"It's a very tough match, we are not in a good position - we are close to the relegation zone.
"We have to continue to work hard and sooner or later everything will go better."
Middlesbrough head coach Aitor Karanka on forward Alvaro Negredo, who has failed to score in 10 straight starts: "When a striker is not scoring goals he is always going to have his critics, just like when a team is not winning a manager is going to have his critics.
"Everybody has to understand we are not a top team going five or 10 times in the opponents' box - we have to wait for our chances.
"Leicester are not in a good moment so we will have to arrive more times in the opponents' box and he is going to score goals for sure in the way that he is working."
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
Leicester are unbeaten in 12 meetings and have won the last four - a record streak for either side in this fixture. Those victories all came in the Championship.
However, the Foxes have gone five Premier League games without a victory against Boro since a 3-0 away triumph in November 2000.
Leicester City
Leicester could lose three successive league games, and two in a row at home, for the first time since February 2015.
The champions have lost six of their 12 league fixtures this season. Their previous six defeats came in 51 matches.
Claudio Ranieri's side have 12 points, less than half of their 25-point tally at the same stage in 2015-16.
However, their record of just four goals conceded at home is bettered only by Chelsea.
Jamie Vardy has scored in all three of his league starts against Middlesbrough. He has gone 14 appearances without a goal for Leicester in all competitions.
Middlesbrough
Boro have only earned one win and seven points in their last 10 matches.
Aitor Karanka's side have drawn three successive away matches, with their only defeat in the last 10 league trips coming at Everton in September.
Middlesbrough are the division's 10-goal joint lowest scorers with Hull but they also have the sixth best defensive record.
They are the only Premier League side yet to be awarded a penalty this season.
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