Leicester City have confirmed their starting lineup for tonight's League One fixture against Wigan Athletic at the King Power Stadium. Russell Martin has made two alterations from the side that drew with Luton Town last weekend.
Will Smallbone makes his first start for the club, coming in for the suspended John Lundstram. Conor Chaplin also returns to the starting eleven, taking the place of Sammy Braybrooke who drops to the bench. The full Leicester lineup is McCarthy in goal, with a back four of Alves, O'Hora, Souttar and Okoli. Page and Smallbone anchor the midfield, with Thomas, Chaplin and Doyle supporting striker Emil Riis.
Wigan Athletic, who sit bottom of the table with just seven points, have handed a first league start to K'Marni Miller. They have made three changes from their defeat to Huddersfield Town, with Dara Costelloe returning after a month out and Morgan Fox also back from injury. Christian Saydee, who has scored in consecutive games, is among the substitutes.
Recent form and context
Leicester go into the match 13th in League One, having taken 15 points from their first 11 games. Their recent form has been inconsistent, with three wins and two losses in their last five outings. They have scored 17 goals this season but have conceded the same number, leaving them with a zero goal difference. Top scorer Emil Riis, who has four goals in seven appearances, leads the line again tonight.
The Foxes are looking to build momentum after a run of games that included wins over Doncaster and Bromley. Defensive issues persist, however, with Caleb Okoli and Louis Page both substituted at half-time in the last match. Martin confirmed that young defender Jayden Joseph remains a few weeks away from a return from injury.
Wigan boss Gary Caldwell felt his side deserved more from their recent performances. "We could have got more from the game," he said after their last outing. His team has lost four of its last five matches and has taken only one point from a possible 18 on the road this season. They are without the suspended Fraser Murray and injured duo Luke Harris and Max Power.
Tonight's match kicks off at 7:45 PM and is available to watch live in the UK on Sky Sports+. Leicester's next fixture is a home game against Stevenage on October 31st, a team currently one place above them in the standings.
More detail at Last Word On Sports
