AdminLeicester City return from the international break with a home meeting against Preston North End, in a fixture carrying weight at both ends of the Championship table.
Preston arrive on the back of a timely lift in fortunes, having come from behind to beat Stoke City 3-1 at Deepdale.
It was a first win in 13 outings for Paul Heckingbottom’s side, and it nudged them up to 13th, reviving hopes of a strong finish despite slipping away from the play-off picture since the turn of the year.
Leicester, meanwhile, remain firmly embroiled in the relegation battle following their six-point deduction.
Under Gary Rowett, the Foxes have managed one win from seven matches, alongside four draws and two defeats, and were last seen grinding out a goalless draw at Watford.
Both managers will be anxiously awaiting the return of their international players, with fitness concerns lingering in each camp.
Preston could welcome back Lewis Gibson, Ali McCann and Callum Lang, while Jamal Lewis has been referred to a specialist. Jordan Thompson remains suspended.
For Leicester, Jannik Vestergaard and Aaron Ramsey are expected to return, though Harry Souttar is unlikely to feature. Asmir Begovic is targeting an April comeback, while Victor Kristiansen may miss the rest of the season.
Reflecting on the disruption, Rowett said: “We’ve got two weeks with a lot of the players not here. That’s the challenge.
Then, it’s a Friday game and a lot of the players will come back on the Thursday, which adds to the challenge.
Sometimes that international break, the thought process of being able to work with your squad, it’s actually completely the opposite.
“It’s probably the worst period of time because you don’t get to work with your squad. The players who are left will get a chance to train well.
We’ll get a chance to improve one or two things. We’ll get extra fitness work into the ones who haven’t played.
There are a few injured players hopefully back as well to bolster what we can do, so I can’t complain.”
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