Image source, ShutterstockLeicester City have confirmed that Julian Carranza has returned to his parent club Feyenoord.
The 25-year-old Argentine striker joined the Foxes on a season-long loan from the Eredivisie club in September.
He made nine Championship appearances without scoring.
The club said, external that Carranza "leaves with our thanks and best wishes for the future".
Image source, Shutterstock EditorialMarti Cifuentes conceded that Leicester fans' displeasure at Bramall Lane was 'completely fair' after they saw his team slump to a third defeat in four games.
The Foxes were outclassed in their 3-1 defeat to Sheffield United, with Jordan James' injury-time goal nothing more than a consolation.
Leicester manager Cifuentes told BBC Radio Leicester: "There are certain things I can share with the fans and some things I cannot. What I can say to the fans is I'm sorry that we're in this difficult moment.
"We need to stick together. After the game, I understand that they want to show their frustration – it's completely fair.
"We were playing against a team that showed more capacity to win duels all over the pitch from minute one to 90. They definitely managed to get more momentum on the ball than we did.
"The three goals are individual mistakes that cost us. It's not a good performance – you don't need to concede two goals to show up."
Sheffield United host Leicester City as the headline act on New Year's Day (17:30 GMT) and will be hoping to make it a spectacle.
It's been more than two decades since Bramall Lane welcomed action on the first day of the year and the last time it did so, things did not go the home side's way.
The Blades will enter the new year resolute on closing in on the play-offs, while the Foxes hope to do the same mountainous task with a potential points deduction looming - but can either side begin 2026 in style?
Sheffield United have lost each of their last three home league games against Leicester City, their worst home losing run against the Foxes.
Leicester City were beaten 3-2 by Sheffield United at the King Power earlier this season and could lose home and away to the Blades in a league campaign for the first time since 2007-08.
This will be Sheffield United's first league game played at home on New Year's Day since 2005, a 2-0 defeat to Wigan Athletic in the Championship. Each of their eight matches on January 1st since then have come away from home (W1 D3 L4).
Leicester City are unbeaten in their last eight league games played on New Year's Day, winning seven of those (D1), the longest active run of any team in England's top four tiers – their last such match was in 2024, beating Huddersfield 4-1 at the King Power Stadium.
Sheffield United's Patrick Bamford has been directly involved in seven goals across his last eight league appearances in the month of January (5 goals, 2 assists), which includes a goal and two assists for Leeds United against Leicester City in 2021.
Marti Cifuentes: 'The bench was excellent and helped us'
Leicester City manager Marti Cifuentes spoke to BBC Radio Leicester after Monday's 2-1 win against Derby County.
"In this league you need to grind it out, and definitely I'm happy. I'm especially happy for the fans, they were outstanding today and I appreciate that for what has been a tough year for everyone," he said.
"The players did a good job in a very difficult game, they fought and did their best during difficult moments in the second half.
"It's always important [to win a derby game]. We played them a few weeks ago and managed to get three points after a good first half, and today the first half was very good again.
"It was disappointing to take the lead and to concede so soon after, but the guys showed the kind of mentality we ask them to have."
Marti Cifuentes: 'There is no excuses, we need to do better'
Leicester City boss Marti Cifuentes said his side must "do better" after being booed off in the 2-1 home defeat against Watford.
"It is difficult to swallow," Cifuentes told BBC Radio Leicester. "We started the game well and scored and we tried to push on and get a bigger score but we conceded after a mistake.
"We spoke at half-time that we had to keep our heads up and keep pushing, but we didn't play a good second half.
"Their winning goal was after a sequence of mistakes but we need to be accountable. We didn't push on in the second half to put pressure on to create chances.
"We need to do better; the players have more quality than they are showing.
"There are things we needed to change since I came here but it is not quick. But in football it is all about the next opportunity and there is no hiding. We have to do better."
Leicester City and Watford will look to shake ghosts of Boxing Day's past when they meet at the King Power on Friday (15:00 GMT)
Watford could make the top six with a win if they are also fortunate with results elsewhere but they'll need to repeat their success from last year's Boxing Day triumph, something they've struggled to do in recent club history.
Though Leicester's luck the day after Christmas has been worse and only one can turn around their Boxing Day form.
Leicester have won each of their last four league games against Watford, their longest ever winning run against the Hornets.
Watford have won just one of their last 14 away league games against Leicester (D2 L11), losing each of the last seven in a row.
In English Football League history, only Newcastle (47) and Burnley (45) have lost more games on Boxing Day than Leicester (43). Indeed, the Foxes have won just one of their last 11 such games (D2 L8), beating Man City 2-1 in 2018.
Watford beat Portsmouth 2-1 on Boxing Day last season but haven't won consecutive Boxing Day matches since a run of six between 1988 and 1994.
Watford have won just one of their last 16 away league games (D5 L10) and haven't kept a clean sheet in any of their last 15 on the road, last having a longer run between April 2012 and January 2013 (16).
Image source, Getty ImagesPatson Daka made his senior debut for Zambia in 2015
Leicester City forward Patson Daka scored a stoppage-time equaliser for Zambia as they opened their Africa Cup of Nations campaign with a 1-1 draw against Mali.
The 27-year-old was making his 54th senior appearance for the Copper Bullets and scored his 22nd international goal with a header in the 92nd minute in Casablanca.
Daka was on the end of a Mathews Banda cross to secure a point and they are third in their group after hosts Morocco beat Comoros 2-0 in the tournament's curtain-raiser on Sunday.
Mali had taken a 61st-minute lead through Lassine Sinayoko.
Zambia, who won the tournament in 2012, are next in action on Friday when they meet Comoros.
Jacob Culshaw
BBC Final Score reporter
Image source, ShutterstockThat's now nine games without a clean sheet for Leicester under Martí Cifuentes.
The most alarming aspect of Saturday's game at QPR wasn't simply conceding four goals, but the manner of them. Three came from crosses.
They were clearly targeted by Julian Stephan as part of the R's game plan, and the hosts were dominant throughout.
Leicester were exposed repeatedly out wide. It was far too easy for Rangers to deliver balls into the box, with really little resistance from the City midfield and backline.
But the bigger picture for the Foxes under Cifuentes this season: it's one step forward, two steps back. Again. An impressive win against Ipswich last week raised optimism, but it was completely missing today.
The pressure has once again returned to Cifuentes and questions about his future.
How does this play out?
Leicester City boss Marti Cifuentes spoke to BBC Radio Leicester after Saturday's 4-1 defeat by Queens Park Rangers.
"I'm really angry and really disappointed about the first half," he said. "We played below the standards and got punished.
"Credit to QPR, they did really well and it was exactly the kind of game that we knew they like – they were aggressive, they were strong and eager.
"The way we conceded three goals was very poor, and while the fourth one is a fantastic strike we didn't play well in the first half.
"I'm sad for them (supporters) because we want to do well for them and it's hard for us to now get back to Leicester knowing that there were a lot of people who came here to support us, and that's not what we want for them.
"All I can do is try work harder, put in more hours to make sure that the team improves going into the next one, so hopefully on Boxing Day we can have a strong reaction."
Marti Cifuentes takes his Leicester side back to his former club on Saturday (15:00 GMT) having moved up to eighth place in the Championship following a run of seven points from their past three games.
QPR would move above the Foxes with a win at Loftus Road.
None of the past 11 league meetings between QPR (five wins) and Leicester (six) have been drawn, with the Hoops winning 2-1 last time out in March 2024.
Leicester have alternated between defeat (three) and victory (three) in their past six away league games against QPR, winning 2-1 on their last visit in October 2023.
QPR have won their past three home matches in the Championship and will be looking to win four in a row in the same calendar year for the first time since April-September 2017 (four).
Leicester City have only won five of their past 26 away league games against London sides (D4 L17), while keeping just two clean sheets from these 26. Their most recent away game against a London side in the Championship was a defeat to Millwall in October (0-1).
Rumarn Burrell has netted nine goals in the Championship this season, and could become the first QPR player to reach double figures for league goals in a single campaign since Andre Gray in 2021-22 (10).
Oliver Skipp: "I'll always help the team"
Leicester City still need to be more consistent despite their upturn in form, according to midfielder Oliver Skipp.
The Foxes have taken seven points from their past three games to move up to eighth place in the Championship table, but the 22-year-old admits they still have a lot to work on.
"I don't think anyone is getting carried away, because we know it's only been three games and we're still not where we want and need to be, and we need to keep pushing and improve on so many things," Skipp told BBC Radio Leicester.
"Definitely in the past few games we've started to compete and show what we can do more, and more often throughout games, but we need to be more consistent."
Leicester made an inconsistent start to the season after suffering relegation from the Premier League and Skipp says it has taken time for them to turn things around.
"When you get a few positive results it breeds confidence - we've started games much better, which also helps - 3-0 up at Derby, 2-0 up against Ipswich - whereas previously we'd started a bit slowly and you're always chasing the game, which can be difficult," he said
"There's loads of senior players (at the club) that have been through so many different situations and you lean on them, you lean on the management staff. Everyone just pulls together.
"There's no point in hiding and running away from the situation; we looked to stand up and be counted."
Leicester visit QPR in the Championship on Saturday (15:00 GMT).
