With 18 matches of the 2025-26 campaign completed, Leicester City find themselves sitting in the lower half of the Championship standings.
After dropping out of the Premier League last term, expectations were high for the Foxes and, so far, it’s been a season filled with difficulties for Marti Cifuentes and his squad.
As we approach the intense festive run of fixtures, Leicester are only seven points clear of the relegation places, having managed just six league victories so far.
The former top-flight winners, who are 13/2 to be demoted to League One, now face a trip to Midlands rivals Derby, who currently sit five spots above them in the table.
Poor form a worry:
Despite their recent downturn, with only two wins across their last nine Championship outings, midfielder Jordan James has stressed that the players will ensure they do not become caught up in a relegation scrap.
The Welsh international, presently on loan from French side Rennes, is firm in his belief that the Foxes are focused on climbing the table rather than glancing behind them.
Speaking to BBC Radio Leicester, James said: “I won’t let that (relegation) happen, a lot of the players won’t let happen, the leaders in the group won’t let it happen.
“For us, we are only looking up. Things can change very quickly. The players we have got are Premier League players and it will show.”
Busy stretch approaching:
Saturday’s visit to Derby, where the away side are 17/10 to take the three points, kicks off a run of six fixtures throughout December.
The Foxes must navigate challenging away trips to Bristol City and QPR, along with home meetings against Ipswich, Watford and Derby before the calendar flips to 2026.
Jordan remains confident, believing that recent setbacks have provided lessons that will eventually pay off.
Woeful opening against Blades:
The 21-year-old added: “The other day (against Sheffield United) wasn’t good enough and we know that. We apologise to the fans for the first 10 minutes (when they went 0-2 down).
“We showed in the second half, the fight was completely different. We know the fans are frustrated, we can see it and we can feel it. It is our job to go and change that.”
The Foxes can draw confidence from their positive recent record versus Derby, although they haven’t faced each other for eight years. Leicester are unbeaten in their last five encounters with the Rams, recording four wins and a draw.
Leicester are only five points outside the top six, and a strong spell this month could push them back into the promotion conversation, with Cifuentes’ men currently 9/1 to secure promotion.