Preview: Leicester vs Doncaster

Leicester go in search of back-to-back Championship victories this evening when Doncaster Rovers visit the Walkers Stadium.

Nigel Pearson’s men will be buoyed on the back of two impressive performances in a row, with the Foxes claiming maximum points at fellow play-off hopefuls Blackpool on Saturday.

The win put Leicester back into the play-off positions after a disappointing winless streak which was finally ended after five matches at Bloomfield Road.

City’s opponents Doncaster have hit a bad patch of form of late, their 2-1 defeat to Reading at the weekend coming as a fourth straight league defeat.

Rovers have found life tough this season on the Championship after an impressive debut year last season coming from League One. Only two sides have won fewer times than Sean O’Driscoll’s men on the road this term, with Rovers registering just two victories away from home so far.

Elsewhere the match sees the return of City midfielder Richie Wellens to face the club he left in the summer after serving his suspension for the red card picked up against Newcastle.

The two sides have not yet met in the league this year after the scheduled January clash at the Keepmoat Stadium was called off due to a frozen pitch.

Vital Quotes:

Leicester assistant manager Steve Walsh: ‘We go out to win every game both home and away, we don’t have a draw mentality at this club. It’s nice to go and keep clean sheets but we like to try and take the game to them.’

Doncaster right back James Chambers: ‘Fair play to the manager in Nigel Pearson, who looks to have gone in there and grabbed the bull by the horns or so to speak, has made the job his own and is developing a very good side there.’

Leicester City Team News:

Richie Wellens returns after serving his one-match suspension for the ed card picked up against Newcastle.

Wellens is sure to be hungry to face his former club but his place in the side is not guaranteed after a winning performance at the weekend.

Yann Kermorgant looks set to miss out again as a result of a hamstring injury, but Nobby Solano returns to the squad after missing the Blackpool game due to personal reasons.

Player to watch: Dany N’Guessan

N’Guessan is integral to City’s new 4-3-3 formation, a system which suits the former-Lincoln man to a tee.

With the left back situation at Doncaster reportedly precarious, N’Guessan will look to build on his goal at the weekend to add to his six goals already this campaign.

Doncaster Rovers Team News:

Former West-Brom man Shelton Martis looks set to start despite limping off in Doncaster’s defeatat the weekend.

But Waide Fairhurst, Adam Lockwood and Byron Webster are all sidelined with foot injuries, whilst Jason Shackell is also out as he nurses a groin injury.

Player to watch: Billy Sharp

With eleven league goals in just twenty starts, Sharp is comfortably Doncaster’s biggest goal-threat for tonight’s game.

City fans may remember Sharp’s dive for Sheffield United which led to a Patrick Kisnorbo red card in the 2007/08 season, a game which City went onto lose 3-0.

But the striker possesses undoubted quality and a natural eye for goal, and the Foxes backline will have to be wary.

Match Facts & Stats

– This is the first league meeting between the two sides since 1956.

– Doncaster have not won away at Leicester in over a century, their last victory on the road coming in 1902.

– City are currently unbeaten at home in five matches.

– Cardiff are the only top ten Championship side that Rovers have beaten this campaign.

Match Prediction:

With a new formation and new lease of life, as well as two good performances on the bounce, I think we can do this. Leicester 2-0 Doncaster. Optimism!