Leicester City return to Premier League action this weekend off the back of a 5-0 thumping away at FC Porto in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Claudio Ranieri’s side had already qualified for the knockout stages prior to their trip to Portugal, but his much-changed team did little to fill him with confidence after a brace from Andre Silva and goals from Jesus Corona, Yacine Brahimi, and Diogo Jota sealed an easy win for the Portuguese giants.

Nonetheless, the Foxes will be in the last 16 draw on Monday as group winners, and will be eagerly anticipating the next stage of the competition, which resumes in February.

For now though, they need to start improving their Premier League form, which has seen the champions win just three of their first 14 games, and lose seven.

That’s four more than in the entirety of last season, and it’s a start which sees them 16th in the table, just two points and two places above the relegation zone.

However, their home record has been pretty good, with three wins and three draws from seven matches, and they’ll take that into their game with Manchester City on Saturday at the King Power Stadium.

Pep Guardiola’s side were beaten 3-1 by Chelsea last time out to fall four points behind Antonio Conte’s men at the top, but they have the best away record in the division ahead of Saturday’s clash.

With the build-up well underway ahead of this encounter, here are THREE reasons why the champions will get back to winnings ways this weekend…

Decent home form

Although it’s been a tough opening three months to their Premier League title defence, Leicester are still proving tough to beat at the King Power Stadium.

Of their seven league games, they have lost only once, to West Brom on November 6, and have won three and drawn three of the other six.

Comfortable victories over Swansea, Burnley, and Crystal Palace showed glimpses of last season’s Leicester, while 0-0 draws against Arsenal and Southampton once again demonstrated their defensive stubbornness.

Their last result was a 2-2 draw at home to Middlesbrough, which actually looked set to be their second loss at the King Power but for Islam Slimani’s late penalty.

Nonetheless, the Foxes are playing reasonably well at home, and they will need to do so again to stop City improving upon their excellent away record.

Aguero, Fernandinho and Otamendi all suspended

Sergio Aguero, Fernandinho, and Nicolas Otamendi are all suspended from the game at the King Power on Saturday, and that must surely delight Leicester fans.

28-year-old Aguero was rightly given his marching orders for a nasty foul on David Luiz last weekend, and Fernandinho was shown red for his part in the melee that ensued.

Both men are key components of the City team, with Argentine international Aguero one of the best strikers in the world, and Fernandinho an unsung hero of the City midfield.

Otamendi picked up his fifth yellow card of the season last weekend and, although he was hopeless against Chelsea, the Argentine has done well for Guardiola this season and could be a big miss in the centre of defence.

Leicester must take advantage of those absences this weekend.

They can get at the City defence

City have kept just one clean sheet in their last 16 games in all competitions, which must be music to the ears of Jamie Vardy and co.

Guardiola’s men defended poorly at times against Chelsea last weekend, with Otamendi particularly poor, while John Stones and Aleksandar Kolarov have both made errors this season.

Thus, Leicester must get at that City defence, be it a back three or four.

Otamendi is suspended so Guardiola will have to shuffle his pack, which is likely to see Kolarov at centre-back, Bacary Sagna at right-back, and Gael Clichy at left-back.

The Foxes have the pace and tenacity in Vardy and the trickery in Riyad Mahrez to cause them no end of problems on Saturday, and with Marc Albrighton and Slimani likely to start, they’ve got enough attacking talent to keep City guessing at the King Power.