Leicester City Vs Norwich City: Key returns boost fragile Foxes ahead of crucial King Power clash
Leicester City host Norwich City at the King Power Stadium this Saturday in a match that could reshape the closing stages of the Championship campaign. The build-up to leicester city vs norwich city is dominated by potential returns from injury for Leicester and the contrast between the Foxes' slide and Norwich's recent uptick in form.
Leicester City Vs Norwich City: fitness and lineup questions
Manager Gary Rowett has indicated midfielder Jordan James and defender Jamaal Lascelles have returned to training and may be available for the 12: 30 GMT kick-off on February 28. Rowett has warned he will balance short-term necessity with medical caution, saying he wants to "get them back in the squad so if we can do that safely we will do, " and adding he might have to push medical staff to reach a decision.
James has been a central figure for Leicester this season, leading the club's Championship scoring charts with nine goals and contributing three assists in 24 appearances. His absence has coincided with a turbulent spell for the club: Leicester are in the midst of a nine-game winless run across all competitions (D3 L6) and have failed to keep a clean sheet in their past nine outings, with only one shutout since the end of September. Those defensive frailties help explain why the club sit in the relegation zone, a single point adrift of safety and facing 12 remaining league fixtures to turn their season around.
Gary Rowett on Jordan James and Jamaal Lascelles
Rowett confirmed winger Abdul Fatawu will be available to start after coming off the bench in the 1-1 draw at Middlesbrough, while Lascelles — absent for the past two matches — is edging toward selection. The manager explicitly framed Saturday as one of several match-days under consideration when making return decisions: "We are looking at Saturday, but we are also looking at the games after that. " That cautious approach underlines the clinical challenge: reintegrating influential players quickly enough to affect results, without risking further injury problems.
The potential returns have an immediate cause-and-effect: fresh bodies in midfield and central defence could shore up the areas that have most exposed Leicester in recent weeks, but hurried comebacks risk setbacks that would further reduce squad options across the final dozen fixtures. What makes this notable is that James' availability carries dual significance — for both club and country — given his recent goal contribution and Wales' upcoming international commitments.
Norwich City form and the Championship context
Norwich arrive having reasserted momentum under Philippe Clement. Since his arrival, the Canaries have lost just six of 21 competitive matches and recorded eight wins in their last 10 fixtures across all competitions. Their away record has been particularly strong, with four wins in five Championship trips, and they returned to winning ways midweek with first-half goals in a victory over Sheffield Wednesday.
Yet the visitors' current league position tells a different story: Norwich sit 17th and are 12 points behind sixth place, meaning a late playoff push would require a near-perfect run. Still, the contrast is stark — an in-form Norwich side traveling to a Leicester team desperate for a lift — and the fixture looms as a pivotal gauge of each club's immediate trajectory.
Rowett's selection dilemmas, the possible return of two senior players, and Norwich's recent consistency set the stage for a match where small margins will matter. If Leicester can reintegrate James and Lascelles without compromise, the Foxes could arrest a damaging run; if not, the club risks slipping further into the relegation spiral with fewer than a dozen league games to rescue their season.
