TEAM NEWS
Gray was originally ruled out for up to six weeks but manager Claude Puel said his condition is improving quickly. Leicester City has an unchanged squad, although winger Demarai Gray is nearing a return sooner than expected from the ankle injury he suffered during the League Cup win over Wolves.
Everton midfielder Bernard is set to make his first Premier League start after impressing in the League Cup. Andre Gomes, Yerry Mina and Seamus Coleman remain sidelined.
MOTD COMMENTATOR’S NOTES
@alistairmann01: This season’s 12-point haul after seven games is the same as Leicester accumulated in 2015-16 – and we all know what happened next!
October that year signalled the beginning of a stunning 10-match unbeaten run, concluding with a 3-2 win against Everton which guaranteed the Foxes would be top of the table at Christmas.
Even those who backed them at 5,000-1 in 2015 will surely be less speculative this time around but, with European qualification, a realistic target, games against teams with similar aims can prove pivotal.
Having won six of their last eight matches, the Foxes are buoyed by far better form than Everton, whose defeat to Southampton in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday was their third in four games.
VIEW FROM THE DUGOUT
Leicester City manager Claude Puel on a first England call-up for James Maddison: “He was in the Championship last season and he has stepped up to the Premier League.
“He has the character to keep his feet on the ground. The most important thing is he keeps his desire but he has a lot of maturity for a young player. “The attributes he has for us, he can bring to the national team.”
Everton manager Marco Silva: “In the last two games, we have played with the youngest team in the Premier League. “We have fantastic moments and then sometimes we go down. We have to be more consistent and mature in some games.
“We will achieve that for sure with time but I want to achieve it as soon as possible.”
LAWRO’S PREDICTION
The Toffees always seem to create chances when they are away from home but they are yet to win on the road this season, and I am backing Leicester to edge this.
Prediction: 2-1
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- Leicester could win consecutive top-flight home matches versus Everton for the first time since 1966.
- Claude Puel’s first match as Leicester manager was a 2-0 Premier League home win in this fixture last season, one of only four Foxes victories against Everton in 24 attempts (D13, L7).
- The team scoring first in this Premier League meeting has never lost.
Leicester City
- Leicester have won three successive games in all competitions, and six out of nine overall in 2018-19.
- They have also triumphed in three of their last four Premier League home games, matching their number of wins from the previous 11 attempts at the King Power Stadium.
- James Maddison has been fouled a league-high 20 times in this campaign.
- Jamie Vardy’s tally of 14 Premier League goals in 2018 is only bettered by Mohamed Salah (18) and Harry Kane (17).
Everton
- They have managed just three wins this season in all competitions, losing three matches and drawing three.
- Everton have triumphed in only three of their last 30 top-flight away fixtures (D12, L15).
- The Toffees are one short of becoming the fourth club to win 600 top-flight matches on the road, emulating Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United.
- The clean sheet against Fulham last weekend was Marco Silva’s first as a manager in 18 Premier League outings.
- Idrissa Gueye’s 19 tackles in his last two games is more than 376 Premier League players (97%) have managed all season.
Source: BBC News
