Struggling Magpies’ seek for important win

Leicester City vs Newcastle

Venue: King Power Stadium

Kick off: 12:45pm

Newcastle United travel to resurgent Leicester City to knowing that a seventh straight defeat could see them dragged back into the relegation battle.

Meanwhile, 17th-placed Leicester will look to blur out their 3-1 defeat to Chelsea and rediscover the fine form that has helped breathe new life into their survival bid recently.

This time last month you could have been forgiven for writing Leicester’s Premier League eulogy, for Nigel Pearson’s side sat rock bottom of the table and seven points adrift of safety.

Fast forward four weeks and the table reads a little differently for the Foxes.

The defeat in question came against Premier League champions-elect, Chelsea, on Wednesday – a result that ended the hosts’ four-game winning streak – but Pearson will be desperate to see his charges resume their great escape with victory at home to struggling Newcastle on Saturday (today).

Newcastle United fans will be delighted that there are only four games left in a trying season under stand-in manager John Carver.

The Magpies’ saving grace may just be that there are not enough games left to drop points in.

One hundred and twenty-two days after replacing Alan Pardew and this is not where Carver would have dreamed to be after waiting so long to sit in the hot seat at St James’ Park.

In truth, United have gradually declined under the 50-year-old to the point where, without Pardew’s good work in the first half of the campaign, they may already be relegated.

They travel to the King Power 14th in the standings, five points above the drop zone and without a win in six league outings.

Their 3-2 defeat at home to Swansea City last weekend gave rise to increasing fears that relegation is on the cards, with a number of disgruntled fans giving Carver both barrels in a heated exchange during the match.

With four games left, there is still plenty of time for Newcastle to plummet further toward relegation.

They could be as little as two points above the drop zone with three to play if they lose and other results go against them this weekend.

It is arguably their most important game of the season, but it remains to be seen if anybody at Newcastle – Carver included – believes that they can leave the King Power with a vital three points.

Leicester possible starting lineup: Schmeichel; De Laet, Wasilewski, Morgan, Kochesky; Albrighton, Cambiasso, James, Drinkwater; Ulloa, Vardy.

Newcastle possible starting lineup: Krul; Janmaat, Coloccini, Williamson, Anita; Colback, Sissoko, Gutierrez, Cabella; Perez, Riviere.