Venue: KCOM Stadium
Kick off: 12:30pm
Leicester City’s record signing, Ahmed Musa, will hope to make his Premier League debut on Saturday (today) as the Champions Foxes begin their title defence against Hull City.
Despite putting up a brilliant showing during the preseason, Musa would battle Shinji Okazaki for a place in the Foxes attack.
The former CSKA striker banged in two goals against Spanish giants, Barcelona, to announce his arrival at Leicester.
Meanwhile, the Foxes stunned the footballing world last time out when storming to the top-flight crown, but once again they have been written off by many as they prepare to do it all again with a trip to Humberside.
Hull remain the division’s only side yet to bring in a new face, despite being linked with a handful of players who could each seemingly bolster this extremely thin squad – just 13 fit senior pros available for selection at the last count hardly providing supporters with much hope.
The Tigers have not only failed to recruit this summer but have also waved goodbye to playoff hero Mohamed Diame, who fancied a season or two back in the second tier rather than helping to steady what is already looking like a sinking ship at the KCOM Stadium.
A depleted squad, a club divided by its owners, no manager in charge and serious questions over the ability of those that do remain, this is set to be a tough campaign for Hull – and it does not get much tougher than an opening-day visit from the champions.
On the eve of the new season, Claudio Ranieri admitted that it will be even tougher for his group of heroes to match their success of 2015-16 this time around, but was happy with the way his side have gone about their business this summer.
Three defeats on the spin, and 10 goals shipped in the process, hardly suggests that Leicester will head into the new campaign with momentum on their side, although it must be remembered that City swapped English minnows for the European elite this summer when facing Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and, most recently, Manchester United in the Community Shield.
That 2-1 loss at Wembley Stadium on Sunday pretty much told us what we already knew about the Fearless Foxes; that they will never give up and will also look to pick teams off on the counter-attack once again this term just like they did over and over again between last August and May.
Keeping hold of his main men would have been the top target for Ranieri this term, having succeeded last season with a solid core that was stuck with throughout, and the Italian has just about managed that with Chelsea-bound Kante the only man to depart.
Leicester do still have Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy fit and firing, with the latter boasting an impressive record of scoring the opening goal (12) more often last term than any other player in Europe’s top five divisions.
Hull City possible starting lineup: Jakupovic, Elmohamady, Livermore, Davies, Robertson, Clucas, Huddlestone, Meyler, Snodgrass, Dimonade, Hernandez.
Leicester City possible starting lineup: Schmeichel, Simpson, Hernandez, Morgan, Fuchs, Mahrez, King, Drinkwater, Albrighton, Okazaki, Vardy.