Teams from opposite ends of the Championship table will do battle at the King Power Stadium on Saturday, as league leaders Leicester City welcome basement side Rotherham United.
The hosts will aim to build on their 13-point lead over third place in the race for promotion, while their visitors find themselves nine points adrift of safety following three straight defeats.
Match preview
© Reuters
Leicester City head into the halfway point of the Championship season on Saturday aiming to continue what has been a historic start to their second-tier season in a bid to earn promotion back to the Premier League in style.
From their opening 22 league games, Enzo Maresca's side have already notched up 55 points, picking up 18 victories along the way while only suffering three defeats, having notched up 44 goals, while no other side has conceded as few as the 16 goals they have shipped at the other end of the pitch thus far.
Two of those victories came back-to-back in early November heading into the international break, as the Foxes fell just short at the hands of Middlesbrough and Leeds United, briefly falling behind Ipswich Town and seeing their lead over third place reduced, but they have bounced back in impressive fashion on their return to action since, picking up 16 points from their last six attempts.
After seeing off Watford and being held to a disappointing 1-1 away at strugglers Sheffield Wednesday, Maresca's men now head into the weekend on the back of four straight triumphs, firstly beating West Bromwich Albion away from home before Plymouth Argyle and Millwall at the King Power Stadium and most recently scraping through away at Birmingham City, eventually standing strong for a 3-2 triumph as a Stephy Mavididi brace and a Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall goal initially had them 3-1 up.
Having now quickly put any concerns before the break to bed, moving three points clear of second-placed Ipswich Town and 13 clear of the chasing pack in the race for automatic promotion, Leicester City will now aim to make it five on the trot and continue their eye-catching march back to the top flight.
© Reuters
Hoping to stop them are a Rotherham United side who travel down to the Midlands in a difficult position at the opposite end of the division, as they currently sit 24th having only managed 13 points from their 22 games thus far.
In those matches, the Millers have only earned two victories with the most recent coming in late October, with Matt Taylor dismissed shortly after during the November international break with the South Yorkshire outfit sat on just 11 points.
Wayne Carlisle then took temporary charge as Rotherham returned to action with two draws and two defeats heading into the beginning of December, before the club hierarchy turned to Leam Richardson to take over in their bid to move off the foot of the division and climb towards safety.
The new boss has been unable to inspire a turnaround in fortunes thus far, though, with both of his first two games at the helm ending in defeat, making it three straight losses heading into the weekend, as they were firstly beaten 2-0 at home to West Bromwich Albion before suffering late heartbreak in a trip to Plymouth Argyle at the weekend, as Morgan Whittaker netted an injury-time winner in an eventual 3-2 home triumph after Tom Eaves had drawn the 10-man Millers level at Home Park.
With their standing quickly worsening in the fight for survival, Rotherham United now find themselves three points behind 23rd-placed Sheffield Wednesday and nine off safety after 22 games, and they will be desperate to defy all odds at the King Power Stadium on Saturday and make a return to winning ways under Richardson to avoid being cut further adrift.
Team News
© Reuters
While he may opt to make some rotations given their busy festive schedule, Enzo Maresca should certainly avoid making wholesale changes to his Leicester City team, while forward Jamie Vardy remains confined to the treatment room alongside wingers Yunus Akgun, Kasey McAteer and Marc Albrighton and defender Callum Doyle.
In the veteran's absence, Patson Daka led the line again for their trip to Birmingham last weekend, but he faces competition to start up front in their 4-3-3 shape from Kelechi Iheanacho and Tom Cannon, while Adbul Fatawu and Stephy Mavididi should again start on the flanks with the latter having taken his tally to seven league goals for the season alongside four assists with his brace in their 3-2 win.
Elsewhere, Cesare Casadei and Hamza Choudhury will both push to come in from the start but Harry Winks, Wilfried Ndidi and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall should again get the nod in a strong midfield trio, while Wout Faes and Jannik Vestergaard will continue to partner up at the heart of a back four.
Rotherham United will be unable to call on centre-back Daniel Ayala, who was shown a second red card of the month in their defeat away at Plymouth Argyle, while the Millers continue to deal with an extensive injury list as Tyler Blackett, Cameron Humphreys, Shane Ferguson, Cafu, Sam Clucas, Fred Onyedinma and Andre Green all remain sidelined.
Experienced defenders Sean Morrison and Grant Hall are both in contention to take Ayala's place, though, and they could both come into the middle of a back five alongside Hakeem Odoffin on Saturday, after Lee Peltier was forced off before half time at Home Park.
Further forward, Jamie Lindsay, Christ Tiehi and Oliver Rathbone could again line up in midfield in the absence of Ferguson, Cafu and Clucas, while Jordan Hugill will continue to spearhead the attack with support from Sam Nombe.
Leicester City possible starting lineup:
Hermansen; Pereira, Faes, Vestergaard, Justin; Winks, Ndidi, Dewsbury-Hall; Fatawu, Daka, Mavididi
Rotherham United possible starting lineup:
Johansson; Lembikisa, Peltier, Morrison, Hall, Bramall; Lindsay, Tiehi, Rathbone; Hugill, Nombe
We say: Leicester City 3-0 Rotherham United
With 42 points already separating these sides ahead of the halfway point of the campaign, it is difficult to look past a resounding home win on Saturday.
Given the momentum on their side and the quality in their ranks, Maresca's side should overwhelm the Millers on home turf.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Sam Varley
