Leicester vs Chelsea - as it happened: Marcos Alonso and Pedro help return Blues to winning ways

Re-live all the action from the King Power Stadium

Chelsea players celebrate their early goal at the King Power Stadium (Getty)

Chelsea can stretch their lead at the top of the Premier League to seven points if they are able to beat defending Premier League champions Leicester City at the King Power Stadium, but they will have to do so without Diego Costa after he was dropped from the squad. Follow all the action here.

• Leicester vs Chelsea kicks off at 17:30
• Chelsea without Costa after training ground row with Antonio Conte
• Costa could leave with offer coming in from China
• John Terry suspended but Nathan Ake available after recall
• Leicester without African trio Riyad Mahrez, Islam Slimani and Daniel Amartey due to AFCON
• Jamie Vardy returns from suspension

Follow the live action below...

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Preview...

Claudio Ranieri’s Leicester City face table topping Chelsea on Saturday night, a match with big implications at the top and the bottom of the table, a win would see Leicester move away from the relegation zone, where they currently sit four points above.

Antonio Conte’s Chelsea were on the verge of a Premier League record consecutive win streak until they were beaten by Tottenham Hotspur last week, they will be looking to distance themselves from Liverpool and Spurs with a win.

It’s a big game for...

N’Golo Kante. The tireless Frenchman returns to the King Power having left the Foxes for £32m during the summer.

He has become a vital player in Conte’s new system and will need to work hard to try and contain an energetic Leicester City midfield, hopefully he gets a positive reaction on his return, given the fact he was hugely important in their title surge.

Best stat…

Chelsea registered more wins in December (6) than Leicester have the entire season. (5)

Remember when…

Riyad Mahrez won the game with this shot past Thibaut Courtois, a goal that drastically helped along the demise of Jose Mourinho.

Player to watch…

Nampalys Mendy

With Daniel Amartey and Riyad Mahrez away at the African Cup of Nations, the onus falls on the summer signing from OGC Nice to be more influential in the game and try to tame the Chelsea midfield, as well as midfield machine N’Golo Kante.

Past three meetings…

Chelsea 3 (Costa, Hazard, Moses) Leicester 0 Stamford Bridge, October 2016

Leicester 2 (Okazaki 2) Chelsea 4 (after ET) (Cahill, Azpilicueta, Fabregas 2), King Power stadium, September 2016

Chelsea 1 (Fabregas) Leicester 1 (Drinkwater) Stamford Bridge, May 2016

Form guide…

Leicester: LDLWDW

Chelsea: WWWWLW

Vital information…

Kick off time: 17:30

TV: BT Sport 1 from 17:00

Odds…

Leicester City to win: 5/1

Chelsea to win: 3/5

Draw: 31/10

(Odds provided by BetVictor)

[14 January 2017 13:20 · Jack de Menezes]

Welcome to The Independent's live coverage of the Premier League encounter between Leicester City and Chelsea as the defending champions take on the current league leaders at the King Power Stadium.

The match build-up has been dominated by the story that Diego Costa has been dropped form the squad for the trip after being involved in a blazing argument with manager Antonio Conte. The striker is said to have complained about a back injury, only for Conte to criticise him, and with interest in the Brazil-born Spain international coming from China, his Chelsea future now looks in doubt.

Chelsea could also utilise Nathan Ake after the defender returned from his loan spell at Bournemouth following a recall, while Leicester will be without Leonardo Ulloa through injury and Riyad Mahrez, Islam Slimani and Daniel Amartey due to the African Cup of Nations. There is good news for the champions though as Jamie Vardy returns from his suspension.

Follow all the latest news here.

[14 January 2017 17:03 · Sam Dymond]

Here's a reminder of the teams at the King Power Stadium...

...and the big news is, of course, the absence of the Premier League's top scorer Diego Costa in the Chelsea ranks. 

Leicester: Schmeichel, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs, Chilwell, Mendy, Drinkwater, Ndidi, Albrighton, Musa, Vardy

Subs: Zieler, Simpson, Wasilewski, Kapustka, King, Gray, Okazaki

Chelsea: Courtois, Azpilicueta, Luiz, Cahill, Moses, Kante, Matic, Alonso, Willian, Hazard, Pedro

Subs: Begovic, Ivanovic, Zouma, Chalobah, Loftus-Cheek, Fabregas, Batshuayi

Referee: Andre Marriner

[14 January 2017 17:21 · Sam Dymond]

After Tottenham and Arsenal shot out four-goal warnings earlier today, how will the league leaders respond at the home of the Champions?

There's just ten minutes until Leicester City and Chelsea kick-off at the King Power Stadium.

[14 January 2017 17:27 · Sam Dymond]

The teams are out, Ray Winstone is having a bang on that and the Leicester City clappers are being given an airing.

It must be time for some football.

[14 January 2017 17:31 · Sam Dymond]

KICK-OFF: We're off, up and away at the King Power Stadium, and Leicester City nearly get off to the best possible start. On the front foot from the off, Ahmed Musa got in behind Cesar Azpilicueta on the left and struck for goal. Thibaut Courtois did well to block at his near post, and the rebound just evaded the lurking Jamie Vardy. Never mind Diego Costa, Chelsea might want to plug the hole at the back if they continue to defend like that. 

[14 January 2017 17:36 · Sam Dymond]

4 mins: Willian is the man who has replaced Diego Costa in the Chelsea forward line and he won't be thanking Antonio Conte at this very moment. The Brazilian has just fallen victim to a Robert Huth headlock as he attempted to break down the right. Ouch.

[14 January 2017 17:37 · Sam Dymond]

6 mins: GOAL! LEICESTER 0 CHELSEA 1:

Talk of Diego Costa's absence did not last long! The league leaders have found the net within six minutes at the King Power Stadium through Marcos Alonso. When a Cesar Azpilicueta curled cross from the right that caused panic in the Leicester box, Eden Hazard was the one to keep his cool. The Belgian picked out his arriving unmarked teammate to his left, and Alonso planted a first time shot into the far corner of Kasper Schmeichel's net.

[14 January 2017 17:42 · Sam Dymond]

[14 January 2017 17:46 · Sam Dymond]

13 mins: It's been an impressive start from Chelsea, who have former Leicester man N'Golo Kante bossing matters in midfield. The Frenchman is at the heart of every move forward from the visitors, who are making a mockery of Leicester's decision to go like-for-like in formation. Three at the back doesn't seem to suit the hosts.

[14 January 2017 17:48 · Sam Dymond]

17 mins: Better from Leicester. Marc Albrighton twice tests Chelsea with wonderful crosses into the penalty area, the first just out of the reach of Vardy, the second flicking off the head of Ben Chilwell.