PREM: Leicester v Middlesbrough preview

Leicester v Middlesbrough preview

Danny Drinkwater starts his three-game ban for Leicester against Middlesbrough after accepting a Football Association charge of violent conduct.

The England midfielder was punished by the FA after elbowing Valon Behrami, something which was missed by referee Neil Swarbrick at the time, during the Foxes' 2-1 defeat at Watford last week.

Kasper Schmeichel is also out with a fractured hand and while Nampalys Mendy and Ben Chilwell (both ankle) have returned to training they are not yet fit for the champions. Record £30million signing Islam Slimani is expected to return after a groin injury and Leonardo Ulloa has shrugged off a back problem.

Middlesbrough will once again be without defender George Friend.

Friend picked up a knee injury in training prior to Sunday's 1-0 defeat by Chelsea and is expected to be ruled out for around four weeks.

Brazilian full-back Fabio is expected to keep his place in Friend's absence while Dani Ayala is still absent with an ankle injury.

Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri says "I always am confident with my players. I am always positive because I see how they react and how they play in training session and when they are working well, sooner or later it goes in the right direction."

"Jamie Vardy has started to also score in training session and that is good news because also, in the training, he didn't score so well. He has restarted and is very close to scoring," said Ranieri.

"Jamie is always normal, the same last season. You don't see him nervous or frustrated. No, he's always the same at the training ground. "Jamie is very important for us and now if he doesn't score that means he doesn't score until now, but now he started.

"I think everybody covers him very carefully and, also, (Riyad) Mahrez is not a surprise for teams because everybody is very worried about him. That is the big problem. "But sooner or later Vardy will come back. I speak every day with him. He is very calm, very concentrated in his job, to work for the team. I say every time, his job is important. The goal can arrive or not, but his job is important."

Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka says "They are not in a good moment now. They are not doing well in the league but they have qualified for the Champions League and so it will be a difficult game. "To do what they have done in the Champions League is not easy, regardless of where they are in the Premier League.

"It was an example of togetherness and how you need to play as a team to achieve anything. Maybe they are not used to playing in two big competitions. "The key for me is to try, especially against the top teams in the league, to be in the last moments of the game with chances to draw or win the game."

Teams

Leicester (from): Zieler, Hamer, Simpson, Hernandez, Morgan, Huth, Wasilewski, Fuchs, Schlupp, Albrighton, Kapustka, King, Gray, James, Amartey, Mahrez, Vardy, Musa, Okazaki, Ulloa, Slimani.

Middlesbrough (from): Valdes, Guzan, Chambers, Fabio, Barragan, Nsue, Gibson, Espinosa, De Roon, Clayton, Forshaw, Downing, Ramirez, Stuani, Fischer, De Sart, Traore, Negredo, Nugent, Rhodes, Leadbitter.