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Birmingham City host Midlands’ rivals, Leicester City in a Sky Bet Championship encounter at St Andrew’s.
Victory could see Birmingham climb as high as 14th in the table, whilst Leicester can move three points clear at the top with a win.
Team News
Cody Drameh is a doubt for Birmingham City after he missed their last two games with an ankle injury.
Kevin Long, Tyler Roberts (both calf), George Hall, Keshi Anderson (both hamstring), Alfie Chang (knee) and Ethan Laird (hip) remain absent.
Leicester could welcome Harry Souttar and Kelechi Iheanacho back into contention after the pair missed their midweek win over Millwall due to illness.
Yunus Akgun (muscle), Kasey McAteer (hamstring), Marc Albrighton and Callum Doyle (both knee) are unlikely to feature, unless club doctors deem any of the quartet fit for selection.
Will Alves and Wanya Macal (both muscle) and Jamie Vardy (knee) remain absent.
When is Kick-Off?
Birmingham City host Leicester at St Andrew’s Stadium on Monday 18 December in a 8pm GMT kick-off, live on Sky Sports in the UK.
Stat Attack
- Birmingham City are winless in their last five league meetings against Leicester (D2, L3).
- Leicester are unbeaten in nine of their last ten visits to Birmingham City (W5, D4, L1).
- Both teams have scored in three of their last four meetings at St Andrew’s except for a 2-0 home win for Birmingham in October 2011.
- Birmingham have kept just one clean sheet in their last six home matches (W3, D2, L1).
- Patson Daka is looking to score for three consecutive league games for the first time as a Leicester player.
Prediction
Having scrapped their way to a clinical win away to Cardiff in midweek with a resilient yet stuboorn defensive effort, Birmingham now need to use that performance as a launchpad if they want to get something here and put themselves back into the play-off scrap.
Leicester meanwhile certainly found themselves in a rare tactical conundrum against Millwall following the visitors’ surprise style in change, yet their quality and tactical nous proved key to making a pivotal mid-game adjustment which unlocked their end product ruthlessly in a solid comeback.
Birmingham though are likely to provide a similar test if the hosts play with the same defensive discipline which could force Leicester to play the long game, but I don’t see the Foxes losing this although a point would be a fair return given Birmingham’s home form.
Prediction: Birmingham City 1-1 Leicester
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