Leicester City vs Preston North End: Prediction, Team News, Lineups Preview
Leicester City host Preston North End at the King Power Stadium on Friday. The match arrives amid a tense relegation battle for the hosts.
Match context
The Foxes head into the game with recent defensive improvements. After a long run without clean sheets from September to early March, they have kept two clean sheets in three matches.
Leicester drew 0-0 at Watford on March 21. The club sits inside the relegation zone after a six-point deduction from the EFL. They are one point behind 21st-placed Portsmouth.
Home form is a worry. Leicester have lost five of their past six league matches at the King Power. The side has won just once in their last 13 Championship games.
Key players
Jordan James has shouldered much of the attacking burden from midfield. He has scored 10 Championship goals this season. That beats his previous best of eight for Birmingham City in 2023-24.
Preston overview
Preston arrive as a mid-table team. They beat Stoke City 3-1 at Deepdale before the international break. Tottenham loanee Alfie Devine scored twice in that win.
Devine’s brace took him to eight Championship goals. Prior to the victory, Preston had gone seven matches without a win. The Lilywhites have collected only three points from their last five league outings.
On the road, Preston have struggled since January. Their last away success came on January 4 at Bristol City. Lewis Dobbin and Alfie Devine found the net in that match.
Recent head-to-head
Leicester had a long unbeaten sequence in this fixture stretching across 16 years. That run ended in August 2025 at Deepdale. Preston recorded their first win over the Foxes since September 2009 that day.
Team News
Leicester suffered a scare when Jordan James left Wales duty with an Achilles problem. Manager Gary Rowett later indicated James will be available over the Easter weekend.
Aaron Ramsey could return after missing the 2026 schedule so far. Bobby Reid and Patson Daka might be rested. Both played late for Jamaica and Zambia respectively.
Preston will be without Alistair McCann due to an ankle issue. Callum Lang is recovering from a shoulder injury and remains doubtful.
Possible lineups
- Leicester (possible): Stolarczyk; Pereira, Okoli, Lascelles, Thomas; Winks, Skipp; Fatawu, James, Mavididi; Ayew
- Preston (possible): Iversen; Storey, Lindsay, Hughes; Valentin, Whiteman, Moran, Vukcevic; Devine, Dobbin, Osmajic
Forecast
For a concise Leicester City vs Preston North End: Prediction, Team News, Lineups Preview, Leicester look marginal favourites. They must improve home form to climb out of trouble.
Preston travel with little to play for in terms of promotion. Their recent away struggles could prove decisive.
We predict a narrow Leicester victory. Final score prediction: 2-1 to the Foxes.
