Leicester City v Manchester City [Capital One Cup quarter-final]

Leicester forward Jamie Vardy is likely to play in the League Cup quarter-final against Manchester City despite nursing foot and shoulder injuries.

Chris Wood, Sean St. Ledger and Tom Hopper remain sidelined with respective hamstring, groin and shin problems.

Manchester City's top goalscorer Sergio Aguero could be sidelined for at least a month with a calf injury.

Fellow forward Stevan Jovetic may be involved, having recovered from a similar complaint.


Few neutral observers will be expecting Leicester City to progress to the semi-finals for the first time since 2000, when they went on to reach the final for the third time in four seasons.

After all, Tuesday's opponents Manchester City have won away at European champions Bayern Munich and put six goals past Premier League leaders Arsenal in the last week.

However, Leicester can take encouragement from the fact that six teams from outside the Premier League have reached the League Cup semi-finals in the last five seasons. The competition does not respect status.

Leicester manager Nigel Pearson said: "We're not daft, we know they're a very good side but I don't think we should go into this game with anything other than high expectations of ourselves to make life difficult for them.

"If we do that then who knows?"

The Foxes, of course, are attempting to return to the Premier League after a 10-year absence, and Pearson was pleased to end a run of back-to-back defeats with a point against promotion rivals Burnley at the weekend.

Despite the improved display, he has cited his side's recent profligacy in front of goal as an issue.

Scoring goals has not been a problem for Manchester City, who average three per game in league and cup this season. Sergio Aguero's injury is a blow, but with £49m worth of forwards in reserve in the shape of Edin Dzeko and Stefan Jovetic, they will bring plenty of firepower to the King Power.


Head-to-head

Manchester City have won both previous League Cup meetings, which took place in the 1960s.
Leicester are winless at home to Manchester City in seven attempts in all competitions (D4, L3) since a 1-0 league victory in February 1988.


This is Leicester's seventh appearance at this stage of the League Cup; they have progressed to the next round in five of their previous six attempts - losing to West Brom in a replay in 1969-70.
No side has scored more League Cup goals this season than Leicester (13).
The Foxes have attempted more shots than any other side in the competition this term (51).
They have scored in their last 29 League Cup matches, amassing 68 goals in this run (2.3 per game).


The 1970 and 1976 champions have reached the League Cup quarter-finals for the 15th time. They have won their last two matches at this stage, both against Arsenal.
City have won six and drawn one of their last seven League Cup meetings with lower-division sides.
They have won all four of their away matches in cup competitions this season.