Leicester City vs Arsenal team news: Arsene Wenger starts Alexis Sanchez as Laurent Koscielny returns in defence

Leicester City vs Arsenal: Team news from the King Power Stadium as last season's top two go head-to-head in the East Midlands

Alexis Sanchez endured a difficult opening last weekend (Getty)

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has named Alexis Sanchez up-front for the visit to face Premier League champions Leicester City this evening.

The Frenchman also hands a first-team return to Laurent Koscielny alongside former Bolton defender Rob Holding at the back while Granit Xhaka makes his full-debut at the King Power Stadium.

The north London outfit have been plagued by injuries this summer and remain considerably under strength after suffering a damaging opening weekend defeat by Liverpool last Sunday.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain offers an injection of pace on the flanks for Arsenal while Theo Walcott will perform the same task on the opposite side as both sides look to collect their first points of the campaign.

Claudio Ranieri, the Leicester manager, meanwhile, recalls Shinji Okazaki and Marc Albrighton to his line-up after the loss to newly-promoted Hull City seven days ago.

Robert Huth returns to the centre of defence after being suspended last week, linking up with captain Wes Morgan at the heart of Leicester's back-line, while Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy also start.

The pair were linked with summer moves to the Emirates this summer with Wenger lodging a failed £20m bid for the England striker before the European Championship.

This evening's teams

Leicester City: Schmeichel, Simpson, Huth, Morgan, Fuchs, Mahrez, Drinkwater, Mendy, Albrighton, Okazaki, Vardy.

Subs: Zieler, Hernandez, Musa, King, Amartey, Gray, Ulloa.

Arsenal: Cech, Bellerin, Holding, Koscielny, Monreal, Walcott, Xhaka, Coquelin, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Alexis.

Subs: Ospina, Gibbs, Wilshere, Giroud, Ozil, Chambers, Elneny.