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Premier League

Leicester v Liverpool predictions: Focused Liverpool should cruise to victory

Depleted Foxes heading for another defeat

Virgil van Dijk is back in contention for Liverpool
Virgil van Dijk is back in contention for LiverpoolCredit: VI-Images

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Leicester City v Liverpool in the Premier League on Tuesday.

Where to watch

Amazon Prime Video, 8pm Tuesday

Best bet

Liverpool win to nil
1pt 9-5 Coral

Team news

Leicester
Wesley Fofana, James Justin, Jonny Evans, Ricardo Pereira, Caglar Soyuncu, Patson Daka, Harvey Barnes and Ryan Bertrand remain on the injured list.

Liverpool
Andy Robertson is suspended and injured trio Harvey Elliott, Nat Phillips and Divock Origi remain unavailable. Thiago, Virgil Van Dijk, Curtis Jones and Fabinho are back in contention.

Match preview

Liverpool and Leicester met just six days ago in the EFL Cup quarter-finals when a young Reds side triumphed on penalties after a 3-3 draw.

Reds boss Jurgen Klopp took a calculated gamble for that encounter by fielding a line-up featuring five academy graduates and giving some senior stars a night off, and his players are even more well rested now after their game against Leeds on Sunday was called off.

It is a very different story for Leicester, who went with a strong team in the cup before facing league leaders Man City just two days ago, and they may struggle to resist the sheer strength of this Liverpool side.

The Foxes will have suffered mentally from their EFL Cup exit, when they gave up a two-goal advantage, and physically due to injuries to Caglar Soyuncu and Ricardo Pereira.

Soyuncu and Pereira were among eight senior absentees for Leicester's 6-3 defeat at Manchester City on Sunday, and Brendan Rodgers confirmed in his post-match comments that he had to protect unused substitutes Wilfred Ndidi and Jamie Vardy, who were nursing minor injuries.

Considering the depleted nature of Leicester's squad, they could be pleased with elements of their performance against City.

The Foxes recovered from 4-0 down to 4-3 within the opening 20 minutes of the second half but their defence never looked comfortable and it is hard to see how Rodgers can improve the situation until he gets a few players back from injury or has some time to work on the training ground.

Vardy and Ndidi may well start, but several players will be asked to go again and it would be understandable if intensity levels were below the required standard.

Liverpool have no such problems and should be stronger than they have been for a while with Virgil Van Dijk and Fabinho in line for recalls after spells of self-isolation.

The Reds were denied the chance to face a depleted Leeds on Boxing Day but the extra rest gives them a massive advantage over Leicester and it is hard to see them wasting the opportunity.

Liverpool are the league's joint-top scorers with 50 goals and their front three should cause Leicester massive problems.

But they are also a strong defensive unit when key personnel, particularly Van Dijk, are available and they have every chance of chalking up an 11th Premier League clean sheet of the season.

Key stat

Ten of Liverpool's 12 league wins this season have been accompanied by clean sheets

Inside info

Leicester

Penalty taker Jamie Vardy
Free-kick wizard James Maddison
Set-piece aerial threat Jannik Vestergaard
Card magnet Wilfred Ndidi

Liverpool

Penalty taker Mohamed Salah
Free-kick wizard
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Set-piece aerial threat
Virgil van Dijk
Card magnet
Fabinho


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