Highlights
Leicester City face Tottenham Hotspur on Monday night as both sides look to kick off the campaign with a win.
The Foxes could be without Jamie Vardy after he missed a lot of pre-season.
Richarlison and new signing Dominic Solanke could miss out for Spurs.
Leicester City will host Tottenham Hotspur in their Premier League return on Monday night after one season away. With newly-appointed Steve Cooper at the helm, the Foxes did their part to ensure their stay in the Championship was kept brief, but the aim is now to prioritize survival, first and foremost. However, after suffering defeat in all three of their most recent pre-season outings, failing to score a single goal in the three and conceding four instead, it was far from the ideal conclusion to their pre-season.
Ange Postecoglou's men will be much more spirited ahead of the clash, having recorded victories in six out of eight pre-season ties. There were plenty of positives to take from Spurs' pre-season preparations, with the standout displays of 18-year-old Archie Gray, and the recent signing of Bournemouth star, Dominic Solanke.
Both sides will be looking to make a statement of their own and, given the changes in both squads, both managers may be looking to tweak their set-ups from last season as well. With that in mind, here is our predicted starting XIs this weekend for Leicester City and Tottenham.
Leicester City Team News and Injuries
Jamie Vardy was absent for most of pre-season
Leicester City face a daunting task as they transition back to the top flight, especially given the departure of influential midfielder, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, to Chelsea. Regardless, it is vital for the East Midlands side to get off on the right foot and Cooper must craft a capable team with the players he has at his disposal for that to happen.
That said, it looks as though Leicester could be without three starters. Former Golden Boot winner and 26-cap England international, Jamie Vardy, was missing for the major part of the team's pre-season and with little time to build up match fitness, it is unlikely the 37-year-old will be rushed into the starting line-up any time soon. Additionally, Conor Coady was excluded from the squad for the friendly against RC Lens, while Patson Daka limped off in the first half, and both are uncertainties for the opening matchday.
Leicester City Predicted Starting XI
Similar to his predecessor, Enzo Maresca, Cooper has proclaimed a preference for a 4-3-3 style. His football is known to be rather pragmatic, which is logical given the club's level of ambition this season, and fans can expect defensive stability to preempt all else.
The partnership between Wout Faes and Jannik Vestergaard should remain ahead of Mads Hermansen, with James Justin and Ricardo Pereira on either flank - this back five was a fairly familiar spectacle throughout last season.
While Wilfred Ndidi and Harry Winks are set to make up the bulk of the midfield trio, the third spot remains up for grabs in the wake of Dewsbury-Hall's departure and Cooper has seemingly trialled various replacements in pre-season, including Boubakary Soumare, Bobby Decordova-Reid and Hamza Choudhary. Given the heat of the Tottenham attack, a defensive solution would make sense, and Soumare's extensive experience with Leicester, Lille and Sevilla gives him the edge over his competition.
Finally, the trickery from Abdul Fatawu and Stephy Mavididi on the wings with Bobby Decordova-Reid as stand-in for the unavailable Vardy and Daka, looks the most likely answer to the frontline.
Tottenham Hotspur Team News and Injuries
Dominic Solanke and Richarlison could miss out
Having finished just two points adrift of a place in the Champions League last year, Tottenham weren't far from where they would wish to be, and Spurs supporters will be hoping to see Postecoglou build some continuity and secure a place in the top four.
A strong start would aid the confidence of fans and players alike and the Australian manager has a largely fit squad to choose from for the season opener. Richarlison missed the entirety of pre-season due to a calf injury, and it would be illogical to hurry the Brazilian into the squad at this stage.
Spurs' exciting summer coup in Dominic Solanke is in a similar position - the forward's 64 minutes towards the end of July as part of Bournemouth's pre-season preparations remains his only source of match fitness so far, and it is unlikely he is involved.
New signings Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall have impressed during pre-season and could be in contention for starting roles. However, with limited top-flight experience, they may be introduced from the bench instead.
Tottenham Hotspur Predicted Starting XI
Postecoglou has often opted for a 4-2-3-1 set-up, utilizing a double pivot in midfield behind a more advanced, creative midfielder, and this could well be the case for the side's trip to the King Power Stadium.
The defensive quartet seems set in stone, as was the case last year, with the duo of Cristian Romero and Micky Van de Ven proving to be quite effective. 21-year-old star, Destiny Udogie, will be looking to build on his debut season last year with Pedro Porro likely to claim his spot on the opposite side.
James Maddison will certainly be on the team sheet for as long as he remains fit, but the midfielders alongside him could vary with competition. But given their individual experience with the league though, Yves Bissouma and Malang Sarr will likely start in this tie.