Leicester City

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Leicester City must win to stand any chance of avoiding relegation to League One when they host play-off chasing Hull City on Tuesday night (kick-off 19:45 BST).

The Foxes are eight points adrift of safety with three games remaining after a run of just one win in their past 17 matches (D7 L9).

Even victory will not be enough for Gary Rowett's side to stay up if Charlton Athletic avoid defeat and both West Bromwich Albion and Blackburn Rovers win in midweek.

The Tigers are sixth, two points ahead of seventh-placed Wrexham, and need a win to guarantee they keep their play-off hopes in their own hands, though Sergej Jakirovic's side have gone four games without victory (D3 L1).

• Leicester have lost just one of their past six home league games against Hull (W3 D2), though it was the last time they hosted them in September 2023 (0-1).

• Hull are looking to complete the league double over Leicester for the first time since 2007-08, when the Tigers were promoted to the top-flight for the first time.

• Only Sheffield Wednesday have collected fewer points at home in the Championship in 2026 than Leicester City (7 – W2 D1 L6); indeed, their six defeats in their past eight are as many as in their previous 28 home matches in the second tier (W17 D5).

• Hull have lost three of their past five away league games (W1 D1), as many as in their previous 14 matches on their travels (W9 D2).

• Hull's Oliver McBurnie has four goal involvements across his previous eight away league starts (2 goals, 2 assists), netting most recently at former side Sheffield United.

Dan George
BBC Sport England at Fratton Park

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Despite the result, it was a gritty performance, at least in the first half, by the majority of the Leicester players in a game that lacked quality and started with both sides looking quite nervous.

Towards the end, as desperation increased, there were moments that turned unsavoury, with Hamza Choudhury clashing with officials and the home fans, while some of the players were also involved in a verbal altercation with opposition players towards the end.

Midfielder Harry Winks was also seen shouting at a fan after the game as he was boarding the team coach.

On the pitch, Leicester had some chances to score and on another day could have taken an early lead when Patson Daka went down from Conor Shaughnessy's challenge that had the away fans calling for a spot-kick.

Daka also had a great chance in the second half when Regan Poole underhit a backpass and if he could have knocked it past Nicolas Schmid then they could have been leaving the south coast with a point.

Despite winning only two league games in 2026 and losing 18 times all season, the Foxes will need to win their remaining three games and hope other results go their way to stand any chance of staying up.

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Leicester City boss Gary Rowett expressed his frustration at the way his side conceded in their defeat at Portsmouth.

They went behind in the second half and ended up losing the game from a corner, scored by defender Ibane Bowat.

That result leaves the Foxes in real danger of being relegated from the Championship and coupled with West Brom's victory at Preston they are now eight points from safety, with only three games remaining.

"I'm disappointed with the way we conceded the goal to lose the game," Rowett told BBC Radio Leicester

"If you played my last four interviews it would sound very similar to this one, which is deeply frustrating.

"We've made it pretty clear to the players the importance of where we are in the season and what it means to a lot of people at this football club.

"We got into some really good positions but without finding that final third quality, we have to show that and we can't keep not showing it in those moments.

"We tweaked a few things after the break and the frustration is that we've conceded a soft set-piece goal. We chased the game reasonably well and we created some good moments but didn't take them.

"That's been the story of this last 10-11 games for us."

The Foxes host Hull City on Tuesday night at the King Power.

BBC East Midlands Today previews Leicester City's crucial trip to Championship relegation rivals Portsmouth.

It is a must win game for a side that famously won the Premier League title 10 years ago, with defeat at Fratton Park putting the Foxes in danger of dropping into League One by Tuesday.

Leicester boss Gary Rowett said his side "has to fight and have pride" as they attempt to prolong their battle for survival.

Leicester City fans, as well as The Athletic's Rob Tanner, also share their thoughts on the club's astonishing fall in recent years.

You can read more from Rowett and the club's battle to beat the drop here.

Manager Gary Rowett says the "urgency" of Leicester City's fight to avoid relegation is clear to everyone.

The Foxes are five points adrift of safety with four games remaining, and travel to relegation rivals Portsmouth on Saturday.

If beaten at Fratton Park, Leicester City could be relegated as early as Tuesday if results elsewhere also go against them.

"It still comes down to doing the right things in games to win games," he told BBC Radio Leicester.

"We haven't done what we need to do, therefore we are in a position that we don't want to be in. The only thing we can do is concentrate on winning the next game or doing everything you can to win the next game.

"We are running out of games, we know that and we understand the urgency of the situation.

"If other teams around us are winning their games, then good for them because they are doing their job. We can't reply on other people."

You can listen to more of what Rowett had to say to BBC Radio Leicester in the build-up to Saturday's crucial trip to Portsmouth on the latest edition of When You're Smiling podcast.

Portsmouth head into this clash having further boosted their Championship survival hopes with an impressive 2-0 win over Ipswich on Tuesday.

That victory meant Pompey moved four points clear of the relegation zone and stretched their unbeaten run to four games with a chance of making it three wins on the bounce here.

Second-bottom Leicester will be desperate for a win after last Saturday's 1-0 defeat by Swansea.

No wins in five means the Foxes are five points from safety before their trip to Fratton Park, making this a massive game for Gary Rowett's side if they are to stand any chance of avoiding relegation.

• Portsmouth are unbeaten in their past five league games against Leicester (W2 D3), with each of the last three all finishing 1-1.

• This is Leicester's first away league game against Portsmouth since a 1-1 draw in November 2011. Their previous visit prior to that draw was a 6-1 defeat.

• Portsmouth have lost their past two home league games on a Saturday, both by the same scoreline (1-0 v Sheffield United and Hull). They have not lost three in a row since April 2018, when they were in League One.

• Leicester have taken just 13 points from 54 available in the Championship in 2026 (W2 D7 L9) – indeed, only bottom side Sheffield Wednesday (three) have picked up fewer points in the division since the turn of the year.

• Leicester winger Abdul Fatawu has completed the most dribbles (108) in the Championship this season, while he has also been involved in more shots following a carry than any other player (76 – 54 shots, 22 chances created).

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BBC Sport asked Leicester City fans to share their opinions on the club's hopes of avoiding relegation to League One this season.

The call went out to see if there were any 'glass half full' supporters out there and, while some remain hopeful, the overwhelming response is that there is little belief left.

Below is a cross-section of the responses.

Aryan: You know when you're walking back from the ground and no-one's even arguing any more? That's where we are. It's just a sigh and a shrug. You don't even get angry when we concede - you half expect it, like spilt drink on the walk home. Same mistakes, same faces staring at the floor, same claps to the fans that feel automatic. It doesn't feel unlucky, it feels deserved. And that's the worst part, because once a team feels like that, you don't fight relegation - you accept it.

Paul: Until it's mathematically impossible of course there's always a chance. However, there's been no fight, no passion shown by the majority of our overpaid players all season so why would anything change now? In the words of the Scottish bloke from Dad's Army, we're doomed!

John: When the 5,000-1 shot came off, we had a bunch of players who would run through brick walls to get a result. The only walls this lot would run through are those paper ones they have in Japan, and even that's only a 50/50 bet. One win in 16 games and now we've got to win at least three out of four (and probably all four) just to have a chance of staying up. Que sera, sera. Whatever will be will be. We're going to the Pi-rell-eee. Que sera, sera.

Michael: The best way to describe our situation is to compare us to being caught in the coils of a large snake. We struggle every now and then and we think we may escape but deep down we know we are going to get swallowed!

Mark: No hope left - this has been coming for a while. This will be the third relegation in four years. Questions need to be asked of the ownership and board - how did it go so wrong so quickly? Why are they breaking the financial rules and ending up with such a gutless, uninspiring squad? Why is there such a disconnect between the club and the now fractured, divided, apathetic fanbase? Do the ownership and board even realize how bad things are, how disillusioned a lot of fans are and how much worse things could get in a very short space of time? This is the club that inspired everyone to dream big, but the dream has rapidly become a nightmare with no end in sight.

Gary: Will Leicester go down? Simply, yes. After seasons of bad management and incredibly poor player recruitment, it has come to this. However, the feeling is not so numbing as in 2008. Watching football for as long as I have, I am sure we can start again. Looking at Coventry, Sunderland etc. gives one some sort of hope that fortunes can change pretty quick. The pain of relegation on this occasion has been the manner of how it's been achieved. Accomplished players, many of them internationals, who have collectively lacked the professionalism to compete at such a level. One can excuse a poor side, because they are rightly not good enough. This Leicester team is a bad one in the true sense, and shameful compared to the contemporaries of 10 years ago.

Padraig: Mismanagement at every level. Disastrous recruitment. Unmotivated players. Doesn't get much worse. New owner and complete clearout of executive committee and playing squad required. Scandalous ineptitude at every level. Relegation a certainty as no fight in these players.

Richard: There are many issues at the club no doubt, but the team's Achilles heel this season has been the lack of a striker who can score. The forward line has been woeful and if you can't score you're not going to win very many matches. Why did the club not address this issue after Jamie Vardy left in the summer? And again they had another opening in the January window, but they failed to do anything, likely as a result of PSR. I doubt we'll win another game and I've resigned myself following the failure to beat Sheffield Wednesday and Swansea that we are going down. No doubt in my mind, sadly.

Martin: It's not looking good, is it? We struggle to score at one end and we keep conceding at the other. The toxic atmosphere at the King Power doesn't help. There is no home advantage for us. I think we're more likely to pick up points away from home.

Ben: Relegation FIGHT. The clue is in the name. Have you ever seen any fight from this club in the past four years? Third relegation in four years without an ounce of real fight shown!

Ric: We've done the great escape before in 2014, why can't it happen again? Foxes never quit.

Alex: Let's not forget the great escape - we won seven of our last nine games. If we can win three of our last four we can stay up. Plus a fox is far more slippery then a bull…

Tom: I think we will beat Portsmouth and I believe we will stay up. Honest.

Stephen: It grieves me so much to witness my team in so much trouble. I don't personally subscribe to the populous belief that "the players don't care or try". If that was really the case, how could they possibly hope to win a contract elsewhere? There's a lot of good players out there, all with dreams of a Premier League chance, and just because we've been there affords us no automatic rights for automatic promotion. I AM a 'cup half full' guy, and with the trickle of returning injuries, I do hope that we'll survive - but it IS squeaky bum time.

Image source, Getty Images

Leicester City boss Gary Rowett says the the Foxes are down to one last roll of the dice to try and stay up.

Pundits fear relegation is likely and fans seem to overwhelming echo those feelings.

Out of curiosity, are there any 'glass half full' supporters out there still?

Sure, it looks grim and Leicester could be a week away from relegation to League One, but surely where there is a mathematical chance of staying up there has to be hope... yes?

Or is the club famous for the 5,000-1 Premier League title win now nailed on for their second relegation in as many years?

Leicester fans can have your say here.

Check back in the next day and we will have a selection of responses.

"As a group we have to get up and go again. We've got Portsmouth ahead of us which is probably the game of the season, we have to fully focus on that with everything we've got."

Leicester City goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk shares his post-match thoughts after their 1-0 defeat to Swansea City at the weekend as Owynn Palmer-Atkin and Matt Piper discuss the huge challenge the Foxes face in their bid to stay in the Championship.

Listen to the full episode of When You're Smiling and more on BBC Sounds.

Leicester City boss Gary Rowett spoke BBC Radio Leicester following Saturday's 1-0 defeat by Swansea.

"I'm really frustrated. If you look at the first half, OK we were not at our best but I still felt as though we just shaded the first half and we had slightly more chances," he said.

"Sometimes it feels like we've got to score the perfect goal, or a worldie of a goal from 30 yards away, and that's not how the game works. Occasionally you have got got to score different types of goals.

"The 10 games I've had here has felt like 40 because the way we have given goals away and have given teams a lift in a time when they haven't really had to go and earn it.

"It's a ridiculous decision to try and play a short free-kick when the box is open and we have everyone loaded up in the box. They then run the length of the field and end up scoring, which shouldn't happen.

"We keep making poor mistakes. And from that point on you want to see, and I certainly wanted to see, a better reaction. I wanted to see a more desperate team fighting for their lives trying to get back into the game.

"But we just fizzled out, really. It was our reaction to that goal that was the poorest thing and most disappointing thing.

"Ultimately, we've got ourselves into this mess and we have to get ourselves out of this mess. And it's a big week coming up."

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The EFL has announced the fixtures for the 2026-27 season will be published at midday on Thursday, 25 June.

The first-round draws for the Carabao Cup and the Vertu Trophy will be made on the same day.

The new season will kick off on the weekend of August 7-9 with the first round of the Carabao Cup, and the opening fixtures in the Championship, League One and League Two will follow a week later on 14-16 August.

The first round of the Vertu Trophy will be played in the week commencing 21 September.

Leicester City suffered a "sucker punch" in their fight for Championship survival when they failed to beat already relegated crisis club Sheffield Wednesday, says former Foxes defender Michael Morrison.

Monday's 1-1 draw with the Owls left Leicester in the bottom three with five games remaining.

And with the Foxes managing only one win from 15 league games since early January, Morrison says they missed the chance to take control of their own destiny.

"They have probably got to win three games to get over the line, especially with [relegation rivals] Portsmouth having a game in hand," he told BBC Radio Leicester.

"It was a real sucker punch not to go get that win [at Sheffield Wednesday]. As a football club you need to take advantage of these moments and that was certainly one that was missed .

"You could look back at the end of the season and say that was 'the point where it looked really dangerous and look where we got relegated'.

"It was such an opportunity to get out of that relegation zone, which then brings together that confidence and that bit of life in that fight."

You can listen to more interview and analysis on BBC Radio Leicester's When You're Smiling podcast on BBC Sounds.

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Leicester City interim boss Gary Rowett is hopeful midfielder Jordan James could return for Saturday's Championship match at home to Swansea City (15:00 BST).

The 21-year-old has missed the Foxes' past two games with an Achilles tendon injury he sustained while playing for Wales in their World Cup play-off defeat by Bosnia-Herzegovina last month.

"He's done some work this morning (Thursday) and we'll see how he feels after that. We're hopeful he might be available for the game; if he's not I'm pretty sure 100% he'll be available for the next one," Rowett told BBC Radio Leicester.

"We want to give him the best chance possible and we'll probably make a decision on that tomorrow (Friday)."

Leicester have drawn both their games in James' absence and Rowett is keen to get him back as soon as possible.

"His heel was really, really bruised and every time you put your foot down, decelerate or land, it creates not a nice feeling so what feels like a relatively innocuous injury just keeps rolling onto another day and until he feels fine there's no point us putting him out there or asking him to try," he added.

Leicester this week failed with their appeal against a deduction of six points for financial irregularities and the head coach is pleased any doubt is now at an end.

"The fact that nothing has changed gives great clarity to the group for the last five games, so I'm pleased it's done now rather than two or three games down the line where it might have a material impact on what happens," he said.

Leicester are currently 22nd in the Championship table, one point short of safety with five games remaining.

Leicester City will hope to break out of the bottom three as they host Swansea City on Saturday (15:00 BST).

The Foxes escaped a loss at Hillsborough on Monday with an 84th-minute equaliser from Jordan Ayew but their point still leaves them one behind 21st-placed Portsmouth.

Meanwhile Swansea have little to play for in mid-table but will be keen to end their four-match winless streak.

• Leicester have won eight of their last 10 league games against Swansea (D1 L1), winning each of the last three by the same 3-1 scoreline.

• Swansea are winless in their last 13 away league games against Leicester (D4 L9) since a 3-2 victory in October 1950.

• Since Gary Rowett's first game in charge of Leicester City on 21 February, the Foxes have drawn more games than any other Championship side (6). They've also had the second most shots in that time (136), behind only Middlesbrough (193).

• Swansea City have lost 12 away league games this season, also losing 12 in their last campaign. Only once in their previous 22 seasons have they lost more, with 13 defeats in the 2016-17 Premier League.

• Swansea's Zan Vipotnik has scored the most goals in the Championship this season, netting 20. The last Swans player with more in a league season was Joël Piroe in 2021-22 (22).