We are back in action! Preview by Simon Mack!!

Saturday 20^th June 2020 12:30pm

Vicarage Road

Following an agonising, surreal and unprecedented three months that has been uncertain and felt like an eternity finally foxes fans get to see their team again as they travel south to take on Watford in the first Saturday Premier League match up in more than 12 weeks.

At a time when they should be on the beach instead Bendan Rodger’s Leicester take on Nigel Pearson’s hornets down in Hertfordshire but will do so on their own as no fans are welcome to attend matches currently and whilst we all turn to the small screen to see our heroes video game crowd noise is piped into the feed to make the experience feel a little more normal.

As the players and staff get regularly tested and a whole raft of new safety regulations must be adhered to the football on the pitch may seem a little insignificant in the light of an illness that has taken so many people’s lives but whatever your feeling on the subject there’s no doubt for many the return of football is a welcome momentary distraction from what are difficult times, and turning to the football both clubs in this lunchtime match up have much to play for.

Former Leicester gaffer Nigel Pearson is hugely respected by the foxes faithful and found himself in a similar situation to his last weeks at King Power Stadium with the hornets as he attempts to lift their spirits from the doldrums and drag them up and out of the relegation zone. His sides 3-0 demolition of champions elect Liverpool was reminiscent of those past heroic ‘Red Adair’ antics with the foxes and there’s no doubt that for a first game back opponent Pearson & Shakespeare’s Watford will provide a motivated and stiff challenge.

Going into the enforced pandemic break in the Champions League places Leicester City looked as if their earlier blistering form has deserted them to a degree and with only one win in 5 prior to the pause that win was in the last Premier League game before the league’s suspension and a win at Vicarage Road would mark the first time the foxes have recorded back to back wins in quite a while.

A goal today for Jamie Vardy will see him join the Premier League ‘100 club’ having bagged a brace in that pre-lockdown victory against Aston Villa but Ricardo won’t be available for this game or any other game this season as he recovers from Cruciate ligament surgery. Ayonze Perez will have a fitness test prior to the game to see if he’s shaken off a knock and whilst loaned in defender Ryan Bennett is 50-50 apart from that the foxes are fit and ready to take on their old gaffer and begin a series of games that they hope will cement their Champions League ambitions.

Watford possible line up:

Foster, Femenia, Kabasele, Cathcart, Masina, Hughes, Capoue, Sarr, Doucoure, Pereyra, Deeney

Leicester possible line up:

Schmeichel, Justin, Evans, Soyuncu, Chilwell, Perez, Tielemans, Ndidi, Maddison, Barnes, Vardy