Leicester City vs West Ham United - Huth and Fuchs return for Leicester

Posted Saturday, December 31, 2016 by PA

Robert Huth and Christian Fuchs are available for Leicester and ready to face West Ham after serving their one-match bans.

Jamie Vardy is still suspended after receiving a red card against Stoke and he will sit out both the visit of the Hammers and Monday's trip to Middlesbrough.

Riyad Mahrez is set to return after being benched by Claudio Ranieri for the 2-0 Boxing Day defeat to Everton while Andy King could make his 350th appearance for the Foxes.

Boss Claudio Ranieri has insisted Kasper Schmeichel will not be sold next month.

The goalkeeper has been linked with a move to Liverpool in January but Ranieri emphatically denied he would leave the King Power Stadium.

Schmeichel, 30, signed a new five-year deal in the summer after helping the Foxes to a surprise Premier League title win last season.

Liverpool goalkeepers Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius are under fire, with the Reds keeping just five clean sheets in 18 league games, despite Jurgen Klopp's team sitting second in the table after Tuesday's 4-1 victory over Stoke.

Schmeichel is the Foxes undisputed number one and Ranieri dismissed any suggestions the champions would let him leave for any price.

He said: "Kasper has a signature on the contract. We won't sell Kasper under any circumstances. We don't need money. No chance.

"I'm sorry for Liverpool, they can win the title without Kasper."

Schmeichel kept 15 clean sheets last season as Leicester won the league by 10 points and has maintained his form this year, keeping six shutouts in 17 appearances.

He returned from a fractured hand this month but the Foxes' have won only once in their last nine Premier League games and sit just three points above the relegation zone.

West Ham will welcome back midfielder Pedro Obiang.

The 24-year-old Spaniard missed the Hammers' Boxing Day win at Swansea due to suspension but should start for their New Year's Eve clash.

Midfielder Manuel Lanzini is back in training as he recovers from an abdominal strain sustained against Hull but remains sidelined. Manager Slaven Bilic also confirmed that defender Sam Byram trained with the squad on Wednesday after a spell out with an ankle problem.

Gokhan Tore (knee), Reece Oxford (ankle) and Simone Zaza (knee) are unavailable while defender James Collins could return to the squad after missing the last few games with a muscular injury.

West Ham will hope to continue their impressive run of wins.

After their title triumph last season, the Foxes are now three points off the drop zone.

However, Hammers boss Slaven Bilic insists that it was always going to be difficult to maintain the heroics they produced last season.

"From last season, the only way was down," Bilic said.

"It was not a miracle, but it was a big achievement for them, one of the biggest in football history so it was difficult, especially for the manager, to maintain that level.

"The Champions League didn't help, definitely. They did tremendously well in the Champions League. In the Premier League, okay they didn't do well but they are now in a position that they are not happy about it. But there's still a long way to go.

"They have the quality, they have the resources and they have a great manager who won the league last season. They should be alright."