Friday, 4 January 2013

Leicester City v Burton Albion - Match Preview

Leicester City's FA Cup campaign kicks off this Saturday, as they welcome League Two side Burton Albion to the King Power Stadium in the third round.

The Foxes will be all to aware of the banana skin that awaits as Albion knocked Nigel Pearson's men out of the Capital One Cup in August.

Pearson made eight changes for that game and he may be reluctant to make as many this time around.

Ben Marshall is a doubt after going off injured during the 6-1 thrashing of Huddersfield on New Year's Day. Jamie Vardy (heel) has returned to training but the game will be too soon for him to feature, while defenders Zak Whitbread (calf) and Sean St Ledger (hamstring) remain out.

Jesse Lingard has returned to Manchester United after his loan spell, but City hope to extend fellow Old Trafford youngster Michael Keane's stay so he could feature. Neil Danns has returned from his time at Bristol City and is also an option.

Andy King, Liam Moore, Martyn Waghorn and Lloyd Dyer are all pushing for starts, as is Paul Gallagher who has come off the bench in the past three games.

Burton look set to be without defender Anthony O'Connor after he went off during their 3-0 defeat at York.

However, fellow defenders Nathan Stanton and Zander Diamond return from suspension and illness respectively. Loan signing Adam Drury could start after coming in Manchester City earlier this week.

Some of Burton's greatest ever results have come in the FA Cup. In 2006 they held a Manchester United side which included the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Gerard Pique to a goalless draw, while five years later they beat Championship side Middlesbrough 2-1.

Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson: "We’ve got to make sure our own game is right, that’s the bottom line.”
"The FA Cup always throws up a few shocks and we have to make sure we’re not one of them.


"It was a long time ago (the previous meeting in the League Cup), it wasn't a game we performed well in, but it's a totally different scenario"

Burton manager and former Leicester defender Gary Rowett: "It's always nice to go back to your old clubs. It's a very different club from when I was there, although it wasn't too many moons ago.

"But the fact we have gone back once and beaten them will make it a little bit more difficult to do so again but it gives the players belief we can do it.

"We take a huge amount of confidence from beating them but we have to be aware it will be a different proposition. They will probably have four of five more regular first-team players in their side."

Match odds:

Leicester (1/4) Draw (9/2) Burton Albion (11/1)

Leicester to win 4-0 (11/1) 2-2 draw (22/1) Burton to win 2-1 (28/1)

Andy King to score first (10/1) Billy Kee to score anytime (4/1)

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