Leicester vs Liverpool - as it happened: Jamie Vardy brace helps fire Foxes to crucial victory over lacklustre Reds

Re-live all the action from the King Power Stadium

Leicester take on Liverpool at the King Power Stadium (Getty)

Leicester City caretaker manager Craig Shakespeare will take charge of the club for the first time when the relegation strugglers entertain Liverpool at the King Power Stadium.

A priceless win for Crystal Palace against Middlesbrough means Leicester are now in the bottom three, with the club facing the very real threat of becoming the first top-flight team to be relegated the season after winning the title since Manchester City in 1937/38.

Liverpool meanwhile returned to form in their last Premier League match with a confident 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield. A win this evening would lift them into third place in the table.

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Key information…

Leicester play their first game since sacking title-winning manager Claudio Ranieri on Monday February 27, against Champions League chasing Liverpool. The match kicks-off at 8pm.

The match will be shown live on Sky Sports 1. Alternatively, bookmark this page and check back at 7pm to follow all the action with The Independent's live blog.

Team news

Leicester have no fresh injury concerns ahead of their crucial match against Liverpool and will hand late fitness tests to Islam Slimani and Leonardo Ulloa.

Liverpool have been handed a blow with the news that captain Jordan Henderson has been ruled out of the game with a foot problem. The England international was injured in training on Friday following a challenge from a team-mate and will play no part in the game.

Henderson was injured during a training session (Getty)

It could have been worse, however: Henderson was sent for a scan as there were initial fears he could have broken a metatarsal, which could have potentially ended his season. Fortunately the tests revealed heavy bruising but no fracture.

Dejan Lovren will likely miss a third successive game because of a knee injury while Daniel Sturridge is suffering from a virus, but Ragnar Klavan is fit.

Predicted line-ups…

Leicester (4-2-3-1): Schmeichel; Simpson, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs; Drinkwater, Ndidi; Albrighton, Mahrez, Gray; Vardy.

Liverpool (4-3-3): Mignolet; Clyne, Matip, Klavan, Milner; Lallana, Lucas, Wijnaldum; Mane, Firmino, Coutinho.

Best stat…

Liverpool have won more away games against reigning Premier League champions than any other side (8), including at Stamford Bridge in 2015-16. The Reds are also the only side to have done so in consecutive seasons (2000-01 and 2001-02 vs Man Utd).

It's a big game for...

The pressure will be on Vardy this evening (Getty)

Jamie Vardy: Rightly or wrongly, Vardy found himself at the centre of a storm last week when Claudio Ranieri was handed his marching orders by Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, with dark rumours beginning to circulate that Vardy had been part of a small clique of players that had taken umbrage with the Italian's conduct in recent weeks and effectively forced him out of the club.

Vardy felt strongly enough about the speculation to issue a statement on Instagram, during which he insisted "Claudio has and always will have my complete respect". Regardless, all eyes will be on Vardy this evening.

The forward will however take some solace in his superb record against Liverpool. Leicester's last three Premier League goals against Liverpool have all been scored by Vardy and he is the only Leicester player to score against the Reds at the King Power Stadium.

Player to watch...

Wijnaldum has been in wheelie good form for Liverpool (Getty)

Georginio Wijnaldum: Adam Lallana has been winning most of the plaudits, but the growing influence of Wijnaldum in Liverpool's midfield should not go unnoticed and is equally worthy of praise.

Wijnaldum has had a hand in three of Liverpool’s last four Premier League goals, scoring one and assisting two, and has been praised by his manager.

"He has been really good for us, and he has formed a good partnership with Jordan Henderson," Klopp said after the club's recent win against Spurs. "He is a really good combination of an aggressive, defensive midfielder plus a creative, offensive midfield player."

Form guide…

Leicester City: LLWLLL
Liverpool: LLLDLW

Odds…

Leicester to win: 41/10
Liverpool to win: 19/29
Draw: 3/1
(Odds courtesy of 888.com

[27 February 2017 18:53 · Vithushan Ehantharajah]

Good evening and welcome to our live coverage of Leicester's crucial match against Liverpool, with the Premier League champions requiring a win tonight to climb out of the relegation zone. Liverpool are meanwhile looking to climb to third in the table, one point below second-place Tottenham Hotspur.

Kick-off is at 8pm and team news is expected shortly, so stick with us for all the build-up ahead of this hugely significant Premier League clash. 

[27 February 2017 19:03 · Vithushan Ehantharajah]

This is, of course, Leicester's first match since the club sacked Claudio Ranieri and from some of the following pictures, it would appear emotions are running high outside the King Power Stadium:

Yes, that is a hearse. And yes, the flowers do spell out 'FOOTBALL'.

[27 February 2017 19:07 · Vithushan Ehantharajah]

Team news! In fancy graphic form:

And for all you traditionalists out there:

Leicester (4-4-2): Schmeichel; Simpson, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs; 

Drinkwater, Ndidi, Mahrez, Albrighton; Okazaki Vardy.

Subs: Chilwell, King, Amartey, Slimani, Zieler, Gray, Ulloa. 

Liverpool (4-3-3): Mignolet; Clyne, Matip, Lucas, Milner; Lallana, Can, 

Wijnaldum; Mane, Firmino, Coutinho.

Subs: Karius, Klavan, Moreno, Origi, Stewart, Woodburn, Alexander-Arnold. 

Referee: Lee Mason (Lancashire) 

[27 February 2017 19:15 · Vithushan Ehantharajah]

So just the single change for Craig Shakespeare in his first game in charge of the Premier League champions. Shinji Okazaki replaces Ahmed Musa.

There's also only one change for Liverpool. Emre Can comes in for skipper Jordan Henderson, who picked up a training ground injury on Friday. 

[27 February 2017 19:19 · Vithushan Ehantharajah]

Shakespeare has worked as the assistant manager at Leicester and Hull and also had a spell as caretaker manager of West Brom in 2006, but he has never worked as a manager on a full-time basis before.

Nevertheless it is understood that Shakespeare is firmly on contention for the top job at the King Power Stadium after Ranieri's sacking. The next few games are essentially a chance for the 53-year-old to audition for the role and a win this evening would do his cause wonders.

Who are the other contenders for the job? We've compiled a gallery of the most likely which you can read below:

[27 February 2017 19:23 · Vithushan Ehantharajah]

Shakespeare has just been interviewed on Sky Sports. Here's what he had to say:

We are going back to the tried and tested, a 4-4-2, or a 4-4-1-1. We need a performance. The lads have been very good in training over the last couple of days and the team selection has taken care of itself in that way.

As you can imagine it has been a busy week, to say the least. The players have had a lot to deal with and hopefully we get a reaction tonight.

We have spoken about it, we know we need a reaction, a result. Hopefully the season starts tonight.

[27 February 2017 19:25 · Vithushan Ehantharajah]

Wes Morgan has also been interviewed and has said that the last few days have "been a big distraction".

It’s been a big distraction and a difficult few days but we’ve got a big game ahead of us and the focus is on that. We need everyone on our side.

We will aim for a committed, determined performance. We’ve not been as good as we should have been and today is a great time to put things right.

[27 February 2017 19:26 · Vithushan Ehantharajah]

It's all kicking off at the King Power...

[27 February 2017 19:32 · Vithushan Ehantharajah]

A look inside the away dressing room:

All of the attention is on Leicester tonight but Liverpool can go third tonight with a win, jumping above Arsenal and Manchester City.

Not too bad for a side that didn't win a single league match in the month of January.

Should Liverpool win tonight, it will be their first three points won away from home since December 19, when they beat Everton 1-0 thanks to a 94th minute goal from Sadio Mané.

[27 February 2017 19:36 · Vithushan Ehantharajah]

Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha's programme notes this evening make for very interesting reading.

In them, Srivaddhanaprabha stresses that he understands many supporters will not be happy with Ranieri's sacking but says that the decision was taken for the good of the team.

He also rubbishes all of the recent speculation that Leicester's players had agitated for Ranieri's dismissal, insisting that everybody at the club had supported the manager "fiercely".

Full transcript below for those struggling to read the above pic:

Good evening everyone,

This week we made the most difficult decision we have had to make in nearly seven years with Leicester City. I don't expect everyone to understand it and I know that some people are angry about it, but we have to think about the Club's long-term interests and the best way to bring the Club we love forward.

Everything we have ever done for the Club has been to help make it stronger and with the long-term future in mind. Carrying that responsibility means making decisions that are not always popular and we respect the views of the fans, but responsibility ultimately rests with us.

We will forever be grateful to Claudio for what he helped us to achieve and the warmth, charm and good humour he brought to his office that helped move the Club forward.

The achievements of last season were extraordinary and we never expected them to be replicated, but we are now faced with a fight to retain out Premier League status and, with 13 games remaining, we felt a change of leadership was necessary. It's a painful decision, but our love for the Club means we must put its best interests before personal feeling.

This was our decision, our decision alone and it is unfair that our players, who supported Claudio fiercely, are being accused of disloyalty.

We have more than a quarter of the season to turn this situation around, but we can only do it together. The most important thing for us all now is to make sure that Leicester City remain a Premier League Football Club and we must unite under that cause to protect the legacy of what we and Claudio have achieved.

In Craig Shakespeare, Mike Stowell and our First Team coaching staff, we have a teamof trusted, skilled professionals supporting our players, who have the quality and strength of mind to overcome the challenges ahead.

They will need all of your support. With our fans behind us we control our own destiny.