Leicester City could rubber-stamp their progression to the knockout rounds of the UEFA Europa League on Thursday evening as they take on SC Braga in Portugal.
The Foxes currently sit top of Group G having won their opening three matches and could also potentially sew up the No.1 spot with another victory. Meanwhile, whilst three points won't quite be enough to see the hosts move back up to top spot, it will take them another step closer to the next round.
Team News
Braga boss Carlos Carvalhal's injury problems were added to last week with left-back Francisco Moura having suffered a cruciate ligament injury. He now looks let to be out for the majority of the campaign and joins striker Rui Fonte on the sidelines.
Meanwhile, David Carmo will not be taking part in the game due to suspension, whilst Fransergio is also a slight doubt having tested positive for coronavirus earlier this month.
Leicester also have their own worries, with long-term absentees Caglar Soyuncu, Wilfred Ndidi, Daniel Amartey and Ricardo Pereira all still out. The latter though did return to action for the club's under-23s in the week but he is unlikely to take part against Braga. Timothy Castagne failed to be fit enough in time for Leicester's 3-0 defeat at Anfield and has not travelled to Braga.
Predicted Line-Ups
SC Braga: Matheus; Silva, Sequiera, Viana, Carmo; Galeno, Castro, Elmusrati, Galeno; Paulinho, Ruiz.
Leicester City: Schmeichel; Fofana, Evans, Morgan; Thomas, Choudhury, Praet, Maddison, Justin; Under, Iheanacho.
Last Meeting
These two sides only met just under three weeks ago but it was a match that will be long remembered for Leicester City as they managed to secure the club's biggest-ever win in European football.
Clashing at the King Power Stadium, Brendan Rodgers' men took the lead in the first-half through Kelechi Iheanacho, who then doubled his evening's work with a fortunate deflected effort shortly after the half-time interval. The Nigerian then went from scorer to provider as he smartly teed up midfielder Dennis Praet for a cool finish at the far post.
James Maddison polished off the scoring late on with a great, solo effort.
Ones to Watch
Wanderson Galeno
In what is his second season at Braga after joining from FC Porto, Brazilian winger Galeno has enjoyed a strong start to the campaign. In nine appearances thus far in all competitions, the 23-year-old has already contributed three goals and three assists to the club's excellent start to the campaign.
He is likely then to start on the left for Braga once again and could potentially present a considerable threat to the Foxes' defence.
Despite having not yet got off the mark in the Premier League this season, Iheanacho is quietly having a very enjoyable time of things in Europe. The 24-year-old already has three goals and three assists in as many appearances in the Europa League this season, taking the mantle from usual first-choice Jamie Vardy.
Iheanacho has led the line with confidence, displaying wonderful link-up play with his teammates, an aspect that he will hope to show once again in Braga.
Pre-match Thoughts
Despite Leicester's thumping win against the Portuguese outfit at the start of the month, Rodgers' is not taking Braga for granted and is expecting another difficult tie.
Speaking ahead of the game, the Northern-Irishman said: “You know when you play against other teams in this competition, they will be at a high level because they are used to winning.
"Our away form has been very good, but we won’t underestimate Braga, despite the result at home. We have to be ready for a tough game.”
Meanwhile, Carvalhal has called on his side to improve on their display in the East-Midlands.
He said: "I think it will be a game with the same characteristics as the first one. We analyzed what we did in England and I think we will give a good answer.
"We have already anticipated what could happen tomorrow, in a game between teams that have identical systems. We have to do better than in the first game and we are committed to doing it."
How To Watch
Coverage of the game is available in the UK on BT Sport 1, which gets under way at 5:30pm GMT. Kick-off follows at 5:55pm.
Alternatively, you can also follow VAVEL's LIVE text commentary throughout the evening.