Liverpool v Leicester predictions: Reds can remain on the winning trail

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

Where to watch

Sky Sports Main Event & Premier League, 8pm Friday

Best bet

Liverpool and under 4.5 goals
2pts 4-5 general

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Team news

Liverpool
Luis Diaz, Roberto Firmino, Diogo Jota, James Milner, Curtis Jones remain sidelined. Ibrahima Konate has returned to training and could feature.

Leicester
Dennis Praet has joined Ryan Bertrand, Ricardo Pereira, James Justin, Jonny Evans and James Maddison in a crowded treatment room.

Match preview

Liverpool have flexed the muscles in the transfer market by agreeing a deal to bring Cody Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven and they can round off a positive week by beating Leicester at Anfield.

It can be difficult to pull off major signings in January but Liverpool snapped up Luis Diaz towards the end of the last winter window and they will be delighted to have captured versatile attacker Gapko, who played a key role in the Netherlands' run the the World Cup quarter-finals.

Jurgen Klopp will be keen to utilise Gakpo as soon as possible as he seeks to add greater depth to an attack weakened by the absence of injured trio Diaz, Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino.

However, the German has largely the same group of players to pick from against the Foxes and will be looking for his team to build on their impressive 3-1 success at Aston Villa on Boxing Day.

Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah were the only senior forwards available to Klopp at Villa Park but Liverpool were two goals ahead by the break and ran out worthy winners having hit nine shots on target.

Liverpool's main issues were at the other end as they sometimes struggled to cope with the power and pace of Villa centre-forward Ollie Watkins.

However, the victory put the Reds on a three-game Premier League winning sequence - their best of the season – and keeps them well in touch in the race for Champions League qualification.

A top-four finish soon became the revised target for a Reds side who won just two of their opening eight league matches and there is every chance of them being successful.

It was not so long ago that Leicester were competing for top-four finishes but they have had to play catch-up this term after taking one point from their first seven games.

There was an upturn in the month leading up the the World Cup break which yielded 13 points from six games and relieved the pressure on Brendan Rodgers.

But Leicester are still a long way from shaking off relegation fears and were handed a reality check on Monday when they slipped to a 3-0 loss at home to Newcastle.

The Foxes defended poorly and shipped three first-half goals, and they struggled to create chances without injured offensive talisman James Maddison.

A persistent knee injury continues to trouble the 26-year-old, who has scored seven Premier League goals and added four assists this season.

Maddison's return to full fitness cannot come soon enough but he is expected to miss out on Merseyside and his absence probably removes any slim hopes of avoiding defeat.