John Duncan: It's tough of course, but in the context of a 38 game league programme, it's one of the factors that can shift things. I would also point out that tennis players going deep into slams have to play every other day for up to 7 times.

Leicester welcome Liverpool to King Power Stadium on Tuesday, but what happened when the two sides met in February?

Brendan Rodgers' side stunned the Reds by coming from behind to clinch a late victory.

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Mohamed Salah's clever finish had put Liverpool in control after some individual trickery from Roberto Firmino.

James Maddison scored a free-kick to equalise then Liverpool keeper Alisson and defender Ozan Kabak made a mistake to present Jamie Vardy with an empty net.

With five minutes left, Harvey Barnes added another for Leicester.

Mark Lawrenson
BBC football expert

Leicester were fine going forward against Manchester City on Sunday, but they were wide open at the back.

That's the last thing you want going into a game against a team as free-scoring as Liverpool are, and Leicester's injury problems will make it difficult for them to change things around too much.

Prediction: 0-2

Lawro's full predictions v singer-songwriter James Arthur.

Liverpool

Liverpool midfielder Thiago returned to training this week after recovering from Covid but he's picked up a "minor muscle" issue the club have confirmed.

Takumi Minamino is also out for the same reason.

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Richard: It’s nothing to do with money. The level of performance decreases and the risk of injury increases dramatically if you undertake intense physical activity over and over again in a short space of time. One reason why rugby teams wouldn’t play twice in three days.

Mark: To Seth - the 90 minutes a footballer plays is not the majority of their job. They also do this thing called training. They have to do gym work. There are tactical meetings. The stuff we don't see dwarfs the stuff we do see.

That game at Stamford Bridge is going to be a cracker, isn't it?

Liverpool and Chelsea are currently on 41 points each, but Jurgen Klopp's side could move three points away tonight.

Manchester City are top on 47 points.

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There was good news for Liverpool and Leicester earlier this week.

Players can stay with their clubs until 3 January before leaving for the Africa Cup of Nations.

That means the Reds can call on Egypt forward Mohamed Salah, Senegal winger Sadio Mane and Guinea midfielder Naby Keita for their game on 2 January at Chelsea, who will have Senegal keeper Edouard Mendy available.

Leicester City are expected to have Ghana's Daniel Amartey and Senegal's Nampalys Mendy, as well as Nigeria's Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho for their New Year’s Day meeting with Norwich.

Making the most of Christmas!

Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers says his side aren't seeking sympathy, despite a tough schedule and a number of player absences through injury and illness.

Seth: I don't get it when PL managers complain of playing too many matches! Doctors and other professionals work almost everyday and get paid peanuts compared to footballers & managers but they don't complain as much as these managers. They should give us a break.

Rachel: Completely agree with Jürgen Klopp. Two games in three days is too much, TV companies and scheduling has a lot to answer for. (Has anyone dared to tell Jürgen that many many years ago they played Christmas day AND boxing day?) I wouldn't be brave enough!

🥳

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Leicester make five changes from the side who lost 6-3 to Manchester City on Boxing Day and start without a 'proper' centre-back.

Timothy Castagne, Boubakary Soumare, Wilfried Ndidi, Hamza Choudhury and Jamie Vardy all come in, with Youri Tielemans and Jannik Vestergaard among the players to drop to the bench.

Leicester XI: Schmeichel, Amartey, Ndidi, Thomas, Castagne, Soumare, Choudhury, Dewsbury-Hall, Maddison, Iheanacho, Vardy.

Subs: Ward, Tielemans, Albrighton, Perez, Vestergaard, Lookman, Daley-Campbell, Nelson, McAteer.

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Virgil van Dijk and Fabinho are back for Liverpool after having Covid and Kostas Tsimikas replaces the suspended Andy Robertson.

Only Tsimikas, Jordan Henderson and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain remain from their last starting line-up - also against Leicester in the Carabao Cup.

Liverpool XI: Alisson, Van Dijk, Matip, Tsimikas, Alexander-Arnold, Henderson, Fabinho, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jota, Salah, Mane.

Subs: Kelleher, Konate, Milner, Keita, Firmino, Gomez, Jones, Beck, Williams.

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The teams have arrived at the King Power.

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Team news in five minutes...

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Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers has also criticised the schedule.

"It's a ridiculous schedule, we all know that. Players aren't fully recovered for 72 hours after a game.

"It's a very quick turnaround. To play Manchester City and Liverpool in quick succession over this period is a big challenge, especially with the squads that they have.

"However, we have to play the game. We'll do what we've done in this period. We will fight, keep working and we'll do our very best."

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says players "need help" and wants talks about the festive schedule to continue.

The German is particularly opposed to teams having to play Premier League games on 26 and 28 December.

Liverpool would have played on those dates before their game with Leeds United was postponed due to Covid-19 cases.

"The situation should not be like this," said Klopp.

"I know so many people think it's tradition and we want to play on Boxing Day, we could have played on Boxing Day and that would have been no problem at all.

"But playing on the 26th and the 28th is just not right, I just say that because it's true and I think we can find solutions for that.

"It's not that difficult to play football in a slightly different way. The 26th and the 29th, where's the problem?"

Liverpool

John Gibbons, The Anfield Wrap , externalspeaking to BBC:

It feels like a return leg of last week's feisty and frantic Carabao Cup game which the Reds won on penalties.

Since then, Leicester have played an even madder game against Manchester City, while Liverpool have had their feet up and, I hope, a lovely Christmas.

This Christmas schedule is always intense and always throws up debate about what is right to ask of professional athletes, as well as questions of fairness because TV scheduling means some teams have more rest than others.

For now, Liverpool have to block that all out and win. They have to take maximum points in the one game we have, especially with a trip to Stamford Bridge on the horizon.

A refreshed and rejuvenated Liverpool should have too much - but then games between these two sides always seem to be eventful. I just hope it's more like the second half of last week and less like the first!