Town boss Kieran McKenna believes Leicester City, who visit Portman Road tomorrow, are as strong as anyone in the Championship.

The Foxes, relegated from the Premier League along with the Blues last season, are in danger of a second successive relegation. Having been deducted six points for breaching financial rules, they are currently sitting third-bottom of the table on 34 points.

The East Midlanders are without a win in nine Championship matches, losing six, with Gary Rowett having been named manager last month following the sacking of Martí Cifuentes, who had only taken over last summer after Ruud van Nistelrooy’s departure.

Despite their struggles, McKenna believes the Foxes remain tough opponents having beaten the Blues 3-1 at the King Power Stadium before Christmas.

“No doubt,” he said. “We felt it earlier in the season, but even aside from that game, I think if you look at their starting XI, it’s as strong as anyone in the division and certainly if you look at Premier League experience and international caps and things like that, maybe the strongest. 
 
“In the end, it doesn’t really matter. We know they’ve got really good players, a strong team, a good manager and an experienced manager. 
 
“We believe that we’re a good team, we have good players and it’s up to us to go and show that now tomorrow.

“It’s going to be a good game, I think. It’s going to be a real battle, like every game in the Championship is, and we want to do everything we can to come out on top.”

The Blues and Foxes have shadowed one another as they’ve won promotion and then been relegated over the past two seasons with some tough and memorable battles during that time.
 
“We’ve been in the same division now for a few seasons,” McKenna reflected. “It felt like we had a couple of draws with them when we got promoted that really felt like victories [1-1 home and away] and where both clubs were coming from that season, I think they were two great games from our point of view that we have great memories of. 
 
“Probably still a bit of stinging injustice, if I’m honest, from the Premier League game at Portman Road last year [which Leicester won in controversial circumstances] and then they beat us in the last couple of games at their stadium [2-0 at the end of last season, then the loss in December]. So again, I don’t think there’s any surprises from our end. We know we’re facing a good opponent.

“We’re certainly are happier coming into the game in the position we’re in. But I think with two good teams like this, that goes out the window a little bit, and it’s about who delivers the better performance on the day.

“Whose intensity comes out on top, who gets the details right, who executes right, who manages the game right and these are the things that we’re focusing on, not what’s happened in any previous games.”

Rowett, whose Oxford side beat the Blues 2-1 at the Kassam Stadium in November, oversaw a 2-2 draw at Stoke in his opening match, then a 1-1 stalemate with second-placed Middlesbrough at the Riverside, before a 2-0 defeat to Norwich City in his first home game in charge last week.

Only six sides have picked up fewer points on the road than Leicester this season, the Foxes having won four, drawn six and lost eight.

But just seven teams have scored more than their total of 24 away goals, however, they have conceded 31, the third most in the division.

McKenna, whose Blues have won their last three matches, was asked that with Rowett still looking for his first win, the former Millwall, Birmingham, Stoke and Derby boss might take a more aggressive approach to the visit to Portman Road.
 
“That’s up to Gary, really, but he’s only been there three games,” McKenna responded. “They’ve had two really tough away games, got two positive results. Stoke away was a good performance, almost won it, except for an injury-time goal.
 
“Middlesbrough away was a really good performance. Again, could have won it and then I’m sure they were disappointed to lose at home last week.

“But it’s early in his tenure and we’ve each got our goals that we’re fighting for. They’ve got a clear motivation now and for the end of the season on what they’re going to want to do.
 
“Both teams will have their reasons to want to win the game, that’s for sure. And it’s up to us to find a way to come out on top.”

Saturday’s match is the first against three teams in poorer form at present with the Blues at Stoke City, who have won only one of their last nine, on Tuesday and then visiting rock-bottom Sheffield Wednesday, who haven’t won since September, next Saturday.

With on-paper tougher games at home to Millwall, who are fourth, and then after the international break, Southampton away, Birmingham at Portman Road and Norwich away, all sides in the top 10 in the form table at present, McKenna was asked whether he views the next three matches as an opportunity to rack up points. 
 
“I see them as really tough games,” the Northern Irishman insisted. “You can’t look at the league position in this division as much as the strength for the game. 

“Tomorrow is a prime example. One, because Leicester in the relegation zone now, it’s easy to forget they’re in the relegation zone because they had a points deduction.
 
“Probably three weeks ago, before the points deduction, they were looking at the play-offs and hoping to get there.

“And then they’ve not won their last few games and had a points deduction and now they’re looking the other way. The league is so, so, so tight. 
 
“We go to Stoke away on Tuesday night. If anyone thinks that’s not a very difficult game, it doesn’t matter if Stoke are fourth, 14th or 24th, that’s going to be a really tough game.
 
“Sheffield Wednesday is a different context, of course. But again, I’ve not seen them roll over too easily for too many teams this year. And Millwall after that will be really tough as well. 
 
“We know what’s coming up, but you can’t afford for a second to look at any game this year in this league and think, ’well, that’ll be more of a challenge than that one or that one will be a bit easier than that one’. 
 
“Tomorrow, it’s a really, really tough game. We need to be ready for the battle that it’s going to be. And then it’ll be the same on Tuesday and everything after that.

“So it’s one at a time and our full focus is just on getting ready for Leicester and trying to back up our last couple of results and performances in our last home game of the week.”

McKenna was asked how easy is to adapt when opposition sides switch things around as Watford did recently when they moved to five at the back against the Blues, or Swansea and Hull City, who both left their top scorers, who might reasonably have been expected to start, on the bench.
 
“Valid question,” McKenna reflected. “It’s our job to do a little bit more research, so I’d like to think we weren’t as surprised as maybe you were when Watford changed to a back five.

“We looked at the history of the coach [Ed Still], what he’s done with his previous teams as he’s only been there for a couple of games.

“They finished the end of the game before us [a 2-0 win at home to Derby] playing a back five, so, OK, maybe they’ll start that way. 
 
“I think we research as much as possible, but there are very often late changes when you’re one of the teams at the top of the division and you’re in good form.

“And especially when you’re playing at home, you also know that there’s a fair chance that the other team might adapt. 
 
“There’s always a balance to how much information you give to the players, how many what-ifs you can give them if they play this shape or if they play that shape. 
 
“You try to give the right amount of information without overloading them with information, especially information that might not be valid.
 
“And you always leave yourself a little bit of scope to make adjustments when the team comes in.

“We try to prepare as well as we can, we make the players aware of the different possibilities, scenarios, selections and systems they might come up against. 
 
“But you always leave that little bit of flexibility, especially in busy weeks, especially at this stage of the season, especially when we’re at home and we’re in good form, that there might be some changes.

“And we have a process for how we communicate them to the players in the last hour and 15 minutes when the teams come in and make sure that they are as prepared as they can be for what they’re going to face on the pitch.”

Elsewhere this weekend, leaders Coventry are at Bristol City on Saturday afternoon, Boro in second are at QPR on Sunday and Millwall, third, are away to fifth-placed Hull City.

The Team

McKenna will probably make a similar number of tweaks to his side as he did for Tuesday’s game, again mainly in attacking areas.

Christian Walton will continue in goal with Darnell Furlong at right-back, skipper Dara O’Shea and Cedric Kipre at the centre of the defence and with Leif Davis returning at left-back.

In central midfield, Tuesday’s goalscoring hero Azor Matusiwa, who remains on nine bookings with a 10th leading to two-game ban having gone 15 matches without a yellow card with another three fixtures to be played before the cut-off, will take up his usual role.

McKenna will probably bring Dan Neil back in for Jack Taylor alongside the Dutchman.

Ahead of them, Wes Burns seems likely to return on the right with Anis Mehmeti coming back in the middle and Jack Clarke again on the left. Ivan Azon seems set to be the number nine.

The Opposition

Leicester will be without former Town loan keeper Asmir Begovic, who suffered an ankle injury in the warm-up ahead of the Norwich match having been named in the starting XI. Jakub Stolarczyk took over and is set to start again.

Centre-half Caleb Okoli is available despite being subbed against the Canaries having felt unwell after taking a blow to the head.

Midfielder Jordan James returned as a sub against Norwich but is considered a little way off full fitness, while veteran central defender Jamaal Lascelles is in a similar position having replaced Okoli on Tuesday. Midfielder Hamza Choudhury is also on the way back from injury but still a little way off a return.

Centre-back Jannik Vestergaard, left-back Victor Kristiansen, another central defender, Harry Souttar, and midfielder Aaron Ramsey also all remain sidelined.

Regarding Town, Rowett said: “They’re a really good side. Kieran is a young, bright coach with a fantastic team. They’re well-drilled.

“But we’ve got the players that if we believe it and show what we’re about, we can compete in these games and cause problems.”

Reflecting on his time at the King Power up to now, he added: “We’ve only been here just over a week, I’m not expecting, I’d love to see it, but I’m not expecting incredible performances straight away in every single game.

“I think we’ve had two positive, one half of not so positive. That’s fine. It gives me little clues. It gives me messages about what I think we need to do.

“I think every game that passes that we don’t get a positive result I think for the players, that feeling heightens a little bit, we start to realise that games aren’t going to be here forever.

“But I don’t want to add to that. I don’t want to add to that feeling of every time we lose a game there’s no point in me walking in and having a go at the players every single time.

“I think we still have to be constructive. I think the players were left after the game in no uncertain terms of what I think we need to do better in games. But I also see a clear desire to try and improve that themselves.

“I think there’s always an easy narrative from outside that players don’t care and players are overpaid or whatever that might be. But I haven’t seen that within the group.

“I’ve seen a group that cares, that wants to do well, that maybe are just not playing quite with the same freedom and confidence that good results and a better position in the table help you to do so.

“So let’s see what happens. It’s the next game, that’s what we focus on and we learn again from whatever happens.”

Earlier in the week, Leicester announced an off-field restructure with Kevin Davies appointed CEO, director of football Jon Rudkin has moved to a chief football officer role, while James McCarron will join from the City Football Group as sporting director.

History

Results are very evenly balanced historically with Town winning 27 games between the sides (27 in the league), Leicester 28 (26) and 21 (20) ending in draws.

The Blues are currently without a win in seven against the Foxes with their most recent victory a 1-0 home success under Mick McCarthy in March 2013 in which David McGoldrick - a future Leicester target - scored his second goal for the club. England skipper Harry Kane was in the Foxes line-up that day during his spell on loan.

In December at the King Power Stadium, Town were beaten 3-1 by Leicester City. Bobby De Cordova-Reid’s 25-yard strike gave the home side the lead in the eighth minute, then Abdul Fatawu made it 2-0 when he lofted the ball over Blues keeper Walton from 15 yards inside his own half two minutes prior to the break.

Before Town could hit back after the restart, the Foxes made it 3-0 through Jordan Ayew on 52.

The Blues kept pushing and Jens Cajuste was gifted his first goal of the season on 71 but Town were unable to find a way back into the game.

The teams last met at Portman Road in November 2025 when Ayew netted in the 94th minute to deny 10-man Town their first Premier League victory of the season as the Blues and Leicester drew 1-1.

Davis gave Town the lead with a superb volley, his first top-flight goal on his 100th appearance for the club, on 55 but the Blues were reduced in number for the second successive game when Kalvin Phillips was harshly dismissed for a second bookable offence, seconds after Conor Chaplin had been denied a clear penalty.

The 10 men held out until the fourth minute of injury time when Ayew levelled for the Foxes with Town unhappy that Sam Morsy may have been fouled early in the build-up.

Familiar Faces

Town striker George Hirst signed from Leicester in the summer of 2023 for £1.5 million following his successful loan spell in the second half of the previous season.

Hirst made only two senior sub appearances for the Foxes having joined them from Belgian side OH Leuven in the summer of 2019.

Blues forward Kasey McAteer came through the youth ranks at Leicester having joined them aged eight and went on to make 27 starts and 29 sub appearances, scoring eight goals, before joining Town in the summer.

Town central defender Kipre was recruited to the Leicester academy as an U18, moving on three years later without having made a senior appearance.

Blues manager McKenna spent time working in the Leicester academy while a student at Loughborough University.

Town fitness coach Jon Ashton came through the Foxes’ youth set-up before going on to make three starts and seven sub appearances prior to departing for Oxford in 2003.

Leicester keeper Begovic, now 38, was on loan with the Blues for nearly two months in the first half of 2009/10. The Bosnian international joined the Foxes last summer after a season at Everton.

Officials

Saturday’s referee is John Busby, his assistants Ian Cooper and Mark Dwyer, and the fourth official Gavin Ward.

Oxfordshire-based Busby has shown 81 yellow cards and four red - among them Leicester’s De Cordova-Reid in last month’s 2-1 defeat at Birmingham - in 20 games so far this season.

Busby’s most recent Town match was the 1-1 draw with Preston North End in January when he awarded the Blues a 90th-minute penalty after Clarke had been felled, the winger netting from the spot.

However, the former Sunderland man was shoved over again before the end, which manager McKenna thought ought to have resulted in another penalty, as should an incident moments afterwards when a Preston player handled inside the area.

Busby was also in the middle at Bristol City in September when he also awarded the Blues a penalty, which was again converted by Clarke, after Chuba Akpom was fouled. He also cautioned Davis, Matusiwa and four home players.

Prior to that, the Blues had won five games in a row when he had been in charge, the last of that run the 2-1 victory at Swansea in February 2024 in which he yellow-carded Davis and one home player.

Busby was in the middle for the 3-1 final-day-of-the-season League One win against a Fleetwood side featuring Burns, who scored in his last game before his move to the Blues, at Portman Road in May 2021, in which he booked only two of the visitors.

He also took control of the 2-0 home victory over Blackpool in February the same year, yellow-carding Myles Kenlock, Luke Matheson and two Tangerines.

The scoreline was also 2-0 to Town when he was in charge of Town when Rochdale were at Portman Road in September 2020, booking Jon Nolan and two visiting players.

Before that he refereed the 2-1 win at Tranmere in January 2020 when he showed yellow cards to Emyr Huws and Will Norris as well as three home players.

Busby was also in the man in the middle for the Blues’ 2-0 defeat to Rotherham at Portman Road in October 2019 when he cautioned Gwion Edwards and three Millers.

Squad From

Walton, Palmer, Williamson, Furlong, Johnson, Davis, O’Shea (c), Greaves, Kipre, Matusiwa, Cajuste, Neil, Taylor, Clarke, Burns, Walle Egeli, McAteer, Nunez, Mehmeti, Akpom, Hirst, Azon.

Photo: TWTD